HUNTLEY – On December 16, Huntley Village Trustee Nick Hanson donated $1,000 to the Grafton Township Food Pantry. The money was part of a total $4,000 donation to be paid out in $1,000 increments.
Huntley Village Trustee Nick Hanson presents a check to the Grafton Food Pantry Director Betty Zirk. Hanson is donating a total of $4,000 or 10 months' salary, to the pantry. (Photo provided)
The money comes from 10 months of Hanson’s salary as a village trustee. Those benefitting from Hanson’s donation are not just the unemployed, however. As Harriet Ford, a member of the pantry’s board of directors said, more working people are among those using the pantry’s resources.
“The demographics have changed; they are not always people who are out of work, but there are many people who have lost their jobs and taken on positions where their earning capacity is a great deal less than it’s been before,” Ford said.
Hanson said it was realizing this and other facts about the pantry that made him decide to give his money.
“Some people had made comments in regards to the lack of perishables; in my mind, I’d never even considered perishables being a part of a food pantry. I always had the idea that it was more basic canned goods and things like that,” Hanson said.
After realizing the need existed for perishable items, Hanson knew what he wanted to help give the pantry. The next step was deciding how to provide the goods.
Drop items off at Grafton Food Pantry, located at 12191-B Smith Dr. in Huntley, or at the pantry’s drop boxes located at Harris Bank on Route 47, the Huntley Park District, the Huntley Public Library, and Wisted’s Supermarket. Checks can be donated to P.O. Box 1074 Huntley, Ill. 60142 Contact: 847-495-0922; graftonfoodpantry.org
“I thought, ‘What better way to give back to the residents of the village [than] the salary that I’m earning?'” Hanson said.
Hanson’s contribution was in tune with the timely giving spirit. This holiday season, the Grafton Food Pantry received over 200 turkey dinners for families, along with several gifts.
Unfortunately, this spike in charity tends to go down with Christmas lights and ornaments, as, according to Ford, the pantry sees a decline in giving after the holiday season.
“After this experience with the pantry, I learned it’s really a year-long need,” Hanson said.
In addition to Hanson’s donation, Ford mentioned the Village of Huntley, Sun City, and local churches have been helpful supporters.
The pantry has a $4 buying capacity from the Northern Illinois Food Bank with every dollar donated. Ford explained that items like toiletries and paper towels cannot be purchased from the bank, so donations of those kind are appreciated as well.
A first-term trustee, Hanson was elected last April and said his experience so far has been great.
“I feel like I’m really making a difference every single day with the residents. It’s been a great experience for me being a contact person for a lot of residents who in the past felt they didn’t know who to talk to when they had a question or a problem within the community,” he said.
