Food pantry needs refilling - Kankakee Daily Journal

Food pantry needs refilling - Kankakee Daily Journal

MARTINTON — The Martinton Community Food Pantry is recovering after a weekend theft that led to a thousand pounds of spoiled meat.

The pantry, which serves all of Iroquois County, was raided sometime between the morning of Nov. 24 and the morning of Nov. 27. While some meat was stolen, the bigger problem was a freezer door that the thieves left open, leading to thousands of dollars in loss for the pantry, which serves about 100 families per week.

"We can't afford this and people can't afford to lose us," said Carla Prizy, who co-directs the pantry with Connie Stirling.

"It was very disheartening that someone would break into this pantry because we give away food. If they need food, all they've got to do is come through the front door on Tuesdays," said Joe Prizy, a pantry volunteer and Carla's husband.

Open on Tuesdays, the Martinton pantry provides enough food for three breakfasts, three lunches and three dinners per person. The community has rallied around the pantry, which opened six years ago.

"When we walked in Monday, we were really downhearted and in one day's time, things are turning around and really picking up our spirits," Carla said. "I can't explain the change in one day to the next. It's an awesome feeling."

Court Street Ford in Bourbonnais has been selling tickets to concerts and Bulls games to support the pantry, and the Watseka Elks made a donation, too. On Dec. 6, the Watseka Park District is collecting nonperishable food in its parking lot at 110 S. Third St. from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. in addition to its annual charity drives.

"Within 45 minutes of announcing the drive, we had a trailer donated, we had volunteers signing up, people calling to give us money," said park district executive director Sherry Johnson, who encouraged people to drop off gifts for Toys for Tots or pajamas for the park district's Jammin' Christmas drive when they stop to donate food.

"It was amazing. It's been so exciting to see people calling and being exciting about doing something to help someone."

Right now, the donations are enough to help the pantry buy more meat for the time being.

"We are planning week by week to use the money that's coming in and get the meat we need," Carla said. "One week at a time, that's what we usually do. Whatever comes in the door, we send out the door."

The Iroquois County Sheriff's department is continuing to investigate the case.

"We definitely see something like this as desperation," investigator Clint Perzee said. "(The pantry) is something that the community stands behind, and we'll try to help the community in any way that we can."