Sullivan’s Foods, 300 N. Madison Street, Morrison, IL, is a generous, continuing supporter of the Morrison Friends Food Pantry (MFFP.) This is most visible during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season.
- Store staff prepare grocery bags of staples for MFFP recipients. Customers “buy” them for $10. Each bag contains more than $10 worth of groceries: corn, green beans, tomato juice, egg noodles, chicken noodle soup, mushroom soup, oyster crackers, cookies, and brownie mix.
- A parallel donation allowed customers to buy a paper leaf, signing their name if desired. These decorated the store entrance–visible proof of the community’s generosity. Cash is used by MFFP staff to add other items for holiday giving.
Assistant Manager Vinnie Polise reported the store collected $787 from the leaf donors. He is shown presenting the check to Kaywyn Beswick, MFFP Director, on Thursday, December 17, 2015.
“It gets higher every year!” Beswick exclaimed.
Grocery bags can be purchased until Christmas. Beswick reported they received over 100 bags and have only three left. Several were distributed with today’s 64 Christmas boxes.
MFFP volunteers prepared 91 boxes to brighten the days surrounding Christmas. Each contained food items enriched by donations from sponsors. The local pantry includes items for a Christmas breakfast, too. This added thoughtfulness is unique.
Inside each gift box were a gallon of milk; pancake mix; syrup; cocoa; marshmallows.
An orange and apple, a new toothbrush, and a candy cane were tucked into the children’s Christmas stockings.
The following items would provide a scrumptious dinner for a family: ham; stuffing mix; mashed potatoes; gravy; sweet potatoes; corn; green beans; cream of mushroom soup; cranberry sauce; applesauce; canned pumpkin; evaporated milk.
Those customers who supported this service project can know they have brought a happy Christmas to many families in Morrison.