This year is the 35th anniversary of Loaves and Fishes Community Services. In 1984, members of St. Raphael Catholic Church saw the need of struggling families in the community. They found a compassionate way to help families by supplying food to the eight or so families each week. Thus, the start of Loaves and Fishes Pantry.
Presently, the entire eligible population throughout all of DuPage County can shop weekly at no cost in the market housed within Loaves and Fishes Community Services. As many as 800 families visit each week and receive basic food staples as well as generous quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables, milk and eggs, and various varieties of frozen meats.
On Saturday, May 11, the National Association of Letter Carriers will sponsor the nation’s largest food drive in which Naperville greatly helps to support Loaves and Fishes with as much as 85,000 pounds of food. This one-day collection will help provide a much-needed variety of food to keep the shelves filled at Loaves and Fishes during summer months when donations are leaner but families’ needs increase while children are on their summer break.
This year, please support the National Association of Letter Carriers and Loaves and Fishes by donating non-perishable healthy and nutritious food to help our neighbors. This year look for the ORANGE plastic bag that you will receive the week before in your mail and donate non-perishable items (even if it rains as it did last year) to the Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive. To donate products needed most, visit the Loaves & Fishes website at www.loaves-fishes.org and search “Most Needed Items”.
A heartfelt thank you to the Naperville Letter Carriers, The Naperville Postal Service, Reebie Moving and Storage/ Allied Van Lines for the use of their equipment, and, of course, the generosity of the Naperville community.
