As always, we kicked off the Christmas season with our annual can shake. We took corners, and shook our cans and our buns for a good cause. We asked for whatever pennies, nickels, dimes, quarters and even dollars we could get from people on the street. Most Blue Islanders know us for our work, and many, many responded. To them, thank you.
Our next step was to inspect our facility. Each year, space is donated for our use. An added bonus was being able to pull right up to an inside elevator and offload. Upstairs, we discovered a happy coincidence. Last year's digs were again available to us, and with a fresh coat of paint as well.
We contacted our usual donors. Local schools play a very big part of what we do. St. Rita of Cascia High School, Veteran's Memorial Middle School, Paul Revere Primary and Intermediate Schools, and Eisenhower Leo and Key Clubs hold food drives for us. The young men below are from Veterans.
Throughout the months of November and December, we spend a lot of time running from place to place, collecting donations.
Besides the schools, we work with City Hall, the Library, Memorial Park and the Calumet Township Senior Center. Each location set up drop off points where food and other items are collected.
Our churches donate as well. Below you'll find a photo of the interior of First Evangelical Lutheran, and a photo of Reverend Judy Jones outside of Christ Memorial United Church of Christ. We also received donations from Grace United Methodist and St. Walters School.
I'm a very proud Mom. Ed and Becki worked their tails off this year, and as usual, they got their friends involved. My kids walked the streets of Blue Island, collecting the proceeds from penny jars, picked up from donation sites, and then sorted through the donations.
The economy affected everything we did this year. Food collection usually begins at St. Rita of Cascia High School, and usually we collect more food there than anywhere. Not this year. Even they were tempered by the recession. Paul Revere Primary School provided a bright spot, but from then on out, we fought for every can of corn and every box of Fruit Loops we brought in. We begged. We spoke at City Hall, we posted on Facebook, talked to church members, and to anyone else who would listen. Just as the boss thought we would have to turn away clients, food donations shot through the roof. Bernie Perryman began by donating cases of food. Betty Nagle followed suit. Nancy Schultz and Raymond Guray donated a lot as well. City employees brought in tons and tons of food.
Our sort crew took over from there. They emptied boxes and refilled others. Corn went with corn, beans with beans, cereal with cereal. It's a lot of work.
Local businesses allowed us to place penny jars on their counters. This year wasn't as lucrative as past years, but then again this year's economy sucked. Residents did what they could, and to each donor, we say thank you again. We had jars at Carr Gardens, Korbakes Liquors, Iversen's Bakery, Blue Island Video, T&J Gyros, Harry's Long Bar and the Dollar Store.
We received special donations. Tony from Doubleplay Lounge and the Calumet Park Troublemakers each donated five turkey dinners. The Blue Island Firefighters Union donated five ham dinners. Then Temulac Boat Club and Windjammers Marina of Chicago donated toys again this year. Jim and Mary Poulsen delivered.
There are so many others who participated, it's hard to remember all of them. If I've forgotten names, please accept my apologies. Remember though, whether we know your name or not, every contribution to our penny jars or during a can shake and every canned good left at a donation spot is very much appreciated.
En guard!
Peek-a-boo!
