A Musical Afternoon to Help the Batavia Food Pantry

Submitted by Cynthia Kieckhefer, The Batavia Woman’s Club

Many people in our community are in need for the first time because of the COVID-19 pandemic and, at the same time, all of us who want to help find it difficult because of the measures in place to rein in this disease. What to do?

Last month, the creative ladies of the Batavia Woman's Club (BWC) figured out a solution that not only helped out the hard-pressed Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry but also resulted in a rollicking good time for club members.

One of the members, Nancy Nanke, has a huge -- really huge! -- backyard AND a very musical son, Matthew, who is a talented singer, songwriter and guitarist. Why not enlist Matthew to provide a "Ravinia In Our Backyard" concert and sell tickets for $25 each? The idea grew to include 50/50 raffle tickets, drawings for some good vino and Disney World passes and outright donations.

Bingo. The weather cooperated beautifully, ------- people brought lawn chairs and munchies and a little more than two hours later, the Food Pantry had $2,000 it never expected. Another win-win for the Batavia Woman's Club, which once again validated its 126-year history of service to the community. Oh, and having a good time together.

The help came just in time, too.

The Food Pantry is a big focus for the club and, after talking to Executive Director Eileen Pasero, the growing need facing many families in our community became starkly clear. So did the likelihood that, with winter and the holidays approaching, benefits being diminished or ending, the need will grow. It also became clear the pandemic challenged the pantry in more ways than creating more hunger for its local families.

The pantry normally gets “rescue foods” from surrounding grocery stores. Rescue foods are perishable foods reaching expiration dates, so they have to be consumed quickly or frozen. When the pandemic first hit, shoppers flocked to grocery stores in greater numbers, buying up greater-than-usual amounts of perishable items. That left considerably less to give the pantry. The pantry also buys food product from the Northern Illinois Food Bank, which also relies heavily on donations and overages. The increase in grocery store consumption decreased the available product of that supply, too.

And now as stimulus checks get spent, and SNAP benefits decrease (SNAP is the government program that provides nutrition benefits to supplement the food budget of needy families so they can purchase healthy food), the need will rise. Also, as the colder days arrive, there will be less work for those serving restaurants and other businesses which have enjoyed the business brought by warmer weather.

The pantry serves between 300 and 400 families a month, and it is seeing three to four new families every week. The pantry uses the motto, “When you have time, please volunteer. When you have extra, please share. When you are in need, please come.”

The spirit of this motto could not be more relevant and meaningful than with the example of one local family. Eileen spoke of a family, two parents, embarrassed by their first ever, and sudden need to find a way to feed their three children. Illness and joblessness caused by the pandemic hit this family hard and fast. Thankfully, they humbly accepted the pantry’s help. Later they received a stimulus check and also found work. They returned with payment to the pantry to pay back what they received.

“The BWC is so motivated to help the pantry. Our community is so very fortunate to help those that need our help. And how rewarding it is to help those who help themselves!" said Cynthia Kieckhefer of the BWC, one of the many organizers of "Ravinia In Our Backyard."

“When you have time, please volunteer. When you have extra, please share. When you are in need, please come.”

The BWC adds, "When you can't think of a way to help, think again!"

Go to www.bataviafoodpantry.org, or www.bataviawomansclub.org/batavia-interfaith-food-pantry to make a donation.