It started with an idea Lucinda Rodriguez and her husband, Israel Zarate, had to create a “little food pantry” on their front yard.
“(We) just wanted to help anybody who was struggling,” Zarate said.
The Elgin couple purchased food items and put them on a table outside their home. Zarate posted about it on social media, inviting people to take what they needed.
Neighbors began donating food too. Someone brought baby formula. Others brought canned goods.
By the weekend, Rodriguez and Zarate had two tables full of food and set up in a new location — a public parking lot on Kimball Street — so they could reach more people.
Rodriguez and the couple’s son, Anthony, held up signs to let people know what they were doing.
Theirs was just one small way local people have been trying to help those struggling with the loss of their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits as a result of the federal government shutdown.
SNAP is administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assist low-income families in purchasing food. Assistance has been delayed since Nov. 1.
While a federal judge has ordered the USDA to pay a portion of the assistance families receive and legislation ending the shutdown is underway, there’s no clear indication of when SNAP assistance will be fully available again.
Community members in Elgin, and around the country, have stepped up to help families dealing with not having the means to buy food. It’s led to food drives to help fill pantry shelves, restaurants offering free meals to SNAP recipients and grassroots efforts, like the one organized by Rodriguez and Zarate.
And it’s helping to bolster places that families traditionally turn to, like the Northern Illinois Food Bank in Geneva, which are struggling too.
President Donald Trump’s administration cut funding to food banks and SNAP in legislation passed this summer. Food banks are serving more people with less funding, food bank officials said.
In Kane County, nearly 61,000 people receive SNAP benefits, just one portion of the 42 million recipients across the country, according to data.
The Northern Illinois Food Bank, which serves 13 counties, has seen a 26% increase in the number of people coming to local food pantries in the first week of November compared to the first week of October, President Julie Yurko said at a forum last week.
They’re looking for long-term solutions to end hunger while meeting urgent needs now, such as raising funds through its Community Response Fund, Yurko said.
Retired professional photographer Liz Domkoski came up with the idea of doing mini-photo sessions at Elgin’s Lords Park this past weekend as a way of raising money for her family and for local food pantries.
“I use SNAP. I always use the food pantry at Elgin Community College because I’m a student. I’m affected by SNAP being put on hold,” Domkoski said.
She charged $75 per session, $25 of which would be donated to local nonprofits.
Social media posts brought people out, and she was able to collect $200 to donate. One family gave her an extra $25 to include in her donations, she said.
“I just wanted to do something,” Domkoski said.
Zarate feels the same way. “If everybody just did a little bit of their part, it goes a long way,” he said.
Rodriguez became emotional seeing the people who showed up at their little food pantry to both give and receive, her husband said. They plan on being out on Kimball Street again this weekend, he said.
If you need assistance with food, the city of Elgin has a Human Services Resource Guide available on its website, www.elgin.gov. It’s a comprehensive list of food banks, pantries and meal programs available in the community.
Additionally, Food for Greater Elgin is holding its Holiday Meal Box Distribution from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday at Elgin Community College, 1700 Spartan Drive. It will be a first-come, first-served event while supplies last. Boxes will include a turkey, mashed potatoes, beans, corn, dessert and other items.
Gloria Casas is a freelance reporter for The Courier-News.
