Cook County Farm Bureau® and Partners Raise Cash and Food Donations for Local Food Pantries
Cook County Farm Bureau® and Partners Raise Cash and Food Donations for Local Food Pantries
Cook County Farm Bureau® Celebrates its 23rd Annual Food Checkout Day
In light of the tremendous pressure created by inflation, Cook County Farm Bureau matched members’ monetary donations. Over $10,000 was donated to local Cook County pantries in celebration of Food Checkout Day this year and the healthy and nutritious food grown and raised by local farmers. The donations directly benefited the one in seven individuals in Cook County who are hungry.
Partner food pantries, Alicia’s House, South Chicago Heights; All Saints Food Pantry, Palatine; Niles Township Food Pantry, Skokie; and Together we Cope, Tinley Park were selected by local representatives from COUNTRY Financial®. Representatives were from the following COUNTRY Financial agencies: Chicago North, Chicago South, Chicago Northwest, and Orland Park.
“Cook County and Illinois farmers are committed to growing safe and nutritious food for our families and for others,” said Janet McCabe, President of Cook County Farm Bureau®. “Food Checkout Day allows us to recognize the importance of healthy, nutritious food while supporting local families in need, especially during this time of elevated food prices.”
For 20 years, Cook County Farm Bureau partnered with Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana. Through the generosity of partners for nearly two decades, Farm Bureau donated over $145,000 and nearly 100,000 pounds of food.
In 2012, and again in 2021, Farm Bureau’s food pantry efforts were named a Summit Award winner by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). The Summit Award recognizes the positive impact that non-profit associations have on their community.
Thank you to the following individuals who donated cash:
Alicia’s House, South Chicago Heights
Robin Scheldberg
Susan and Michael Schumer
Phyllis Vandermolen
All Saints Food Pantry, Palatine
Don and Linda Anderson
Larry and Sharon Barr
Janet McCabe
Niles Township Food Pantry, Skokie
Mike Basile
Malgorzata Jura
Natasha Neskovic
Vicki Nygren
Bob Sitkiewicz
Agents of Chicago North COUNTRY Financial
Jim Andresen
Dan Gallivan
Tom Geraghty
Tim Hartnell
Kyle Hastings
Karen Kavalas
Terry LeMastus
Julie and Dwayne Michaels
George Parthemore
Tony Palumbo
Bob and Jayne Rohrer
Piero Setta
Cary Tate
Thank you to all the members, supporters, and COUNTRY Financial representatives who donated non-perishable food items.
Donations matched by the Farm Bureau to local food pantries that were not partner pantries:
Pamela Bruns, donation to Elk Grove Township Food Pantry
Kathy Engert, donation to the Common Pantry
Mike Rauch, donation to Hattie B. Williams Food Pantry
Food Checkout Day is possible only through the efforts of volunteers, including Farm Bureau leadership and committee members and Chicago North, Chicago South, Northwest, and Orland Park COUNTRY Financial representatives and staff members. Volunteers were integral to the success of the shopping spree portion of Food Checkout Day.
Volunteers
Jim Andresen, COUNTRY Financial Orland Park Agency
Dan Biernacki
Karen Biernacki
Bryan Blau
Linda Bosy
Laura Elkins, COUNTRY Financial Orland Park Agency
Jim Gutzmer
Bona Heinsohn
Matt Huonder, COUNTRY Financial Chicago Northwest Agency
Kyle Huppe, COUNTRY Financial Orland Park Agency
Gerry Kopping
Linda Kopping
Janet McCabe
Liana Mierendorf, COUNTRY Financial Orland Park Agency
Natasha Neskovic, COUNTRY Financial Chicago North Agency
Tim Perchinski, COUNTRY Financial Chicago South Agency
Tino Ramirez, COUNTRY Financial Chicago Northwest Agency
Bob Rohrer
Mike Rauch
Ciria Serrano, COUNTRY Financial Chicago North Agency
Sharon Stemke, COUNTRY Financial Northeast Agency
Linda Tobias
Diane Tom, COUNTRY Financial Chicago Northwest Agency
Mark Yunker
Lisa Zielinski, COUNTRY Financial Orland Park Agency
As the county’s largest general farm organization, Cook County Farm Bureau® is dedicated to bridging the gap between farmers and urban consumers. Through education programs targeting youth and their parents and programs designed to connect farmers with potential consumers, Farm Bureau members are actively engaging in conversations about food and the shared values between farmers and consumers.
