Shonda Bond of East Alton watches as volunteer Dustin Largen loads food during Sunday’s Riverbend Pet Food Pantry in Alton.
Shonda Bond of East Alton watches as volunteer Dustin Largen loads food during Sunday’s Riverbend Pet Food Pantry in Alton.
David Blanchette | For The Telegraph
Volunteer Dustin Largen loads food for Fred Johnson of Maryville during Sunday’s Riverbend Pet Food Pantry.
Volunteer Dustin Largen loads food for Fred Johnson of Maryville during Sunday’s Riverbend Pet Food Pantry.
David Blanchette | For The Telegraph
Volunteer Kimberly Stewart of Rosewood Heights stacks donated food during Sunday’s Pet Food Pantry.
Volunteer Kimberly Stewart of Rosewood Heights stacks donated food during Sunday’s Pet Food Pantry.
David Blanchette | For The Telegraph
Volunteer Pat Jacoby of Wood River examines the items that have been donated for the Riverbend Pet Food Pantry.
Volunteer Pat Jacoby of Wood River examines the items that have been donated for the Riverbend Pet Food Pantry.
David Blanchette | For The Telegraph
Large containers of cat food await distribution on Sunday.
Large containers of cat food await distribution on Sunday.
David Blanchette | For The Telegraph
People line up to place their pet food orders during the Riverbend Pet Food Pantry event.
People line up to place their pet food orders during the Riverbend Pet Food Pantry event.
David Blanchette | For The Telegraph
Volunteers fill wheelbarrows with food during Sunday’s Riverbend Pet Food Pantry.
Volunteers fill wheelbarrows with food during Sunday’s Riverbend Pet Food Pantry.
David Blanchette | For The Telegraph
Volunteer Delecia Blair pushes a wheelbarrow full of pet food to a waiting car.
Volunteer Delecia Blair pushes a wheelbarrow full of pet food to a waiting car.
David Blanchette | For The Telegraph
ALTON — Vehicles pulled up near the Alton Public Works Building off of Fosterburg Road on Sunday and were filled with wheelbarrows full of material before departing on their mission. But that mission wasn’t filling potholes — it was feeding area pets.
The Riverbend Pet Food Pantry held its monthly free pet food distribution on Sunday, and nearly 100 people lined up to take advantage of the service. Volunteers inside the SNIP Alliance spay-neuter clinic on the Public Works grounds first verified that recipients met the requirements, then another group of volunteers loaded food and treats into wheelbarrows for delivery to waiting vehicles.
“It feels great to know that my animals are being taken care of, it’s a great sense of security for sure,” said Shonda Bond of East Alton, who picked up food for her two cats and a dog. “I financially can’t afford my pets right now, so they have helped me out tremendously with my pets. I’ve used their SNIP service as well to get my pets spayed and neutered.”
Dennis Becker of Wood River received food for his three dogs.
“I really needed help. I was working and I ended up having to go on disability, and that was why I was always having so much trouble with my dog food,” Becker said. “When I was buying it from the store it was outrageous. I can come here and make sure my dogs are getting fed well. Now I don’t have to worry every month if I’m going to have the money to get their dog food.”
The Riverbend Pet Food Pantry, a subsidiary of the Riverbend area SNIP Alliance, distributes 4,000 pounds of dry dog and cat food every month and last month also handed out 500 pounds of cat litter, according to coordinator Kaleen Johnston. They have been operating the free service for two years now, she said.
“We offer one month of cat and dog food to low-income families and we also support people who are feeding feral cats,” Johnston said. “On the last Sunday of every month they come, line up, place their order, and our good volunteers out here load them up and they’re good to go for the next month.”
Johnston said people can donate food and treats to the program at Petco in Alton and Edwardsville, Shop-n-Save in Edwardsville, and during the once-monthly pantry days. The organization also has periodic community events and donations can be made at any of those.
“We serve approximately 100 people per month now,” Johnston said. “We are a little bit lower than we have been because we are re-certifying everybody, making sure everyone’s paperwork is up to date and everyone is still eligible for the program.”
Program recipients must have proof of need such as government assistance papers, unemployment or disability verification, and must also have proof of pet ownership. The food must be picked up during the once-monthly pantry day. All pets and feral cats must be spayed or neutered within 90 days of applying for pet food assistance.
Upcoming Riverbend Pet Food Pantry distributions will be held from 9 to 11 a.m. on April 29, May 20, June 24, July 29, August 26, September 30, October 28, November 25 and December 16 at the Alton Public Works Building at 2 Emma Kaus Lane.
Delicia Blair of East Alton is a Pet Food Pantry volunteer as well as a program recipient for her three dogs.
“I enjoy it, it makes me feel good that I’m actually helping the community by giving people the stuff they need to feed their pets,” Blair said. “My daughter and I have been doing this for six months now. I started because they have helped me out, so we come out twice a month, one is the bagging day and the other is the distribution day.”
“Last month I was the Volunteer of the Month,” Blair said. “I was a little shocked because it was on the Facebook page and ‘boom’ there I was! I was like, oh wow!’”
The Pet Food Pantry has been good for Kelley Madison of Cottage Hills, who has been coming for a year now.
“We live in a trailer park up the road here, and people move out all the time and they leave cats and kittens behind,” Madison said. “This program allows us to rescue those kittens, bring them down here for cheap spay and neutering. It is also a great service for us to have for our own personal indoor cats.”
“It helps with the litter, it helps with the food, it saves us about $80 a month,” Madison said. “People need to donate more. We need to get more people out here to help with volunteering and donations.”
One-year program recipient Denette Palmer of Jerseyville agreed that donors are what keep the initiative going.
“I want to tell people if you are able to donate, you’re not just helping the people, you are helping these animals to survive,” Palmer said. “As an animal lover, you make a point to come here and help them.”
A unique fundraising event has been scheduled for Saturday, April 14 to benefit the SNIP Alliance, which coordinates the Pet Food Pantry. MasquerSpayed, billed as a “no balls ball,” will be held that evening from 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. at Mineral Springs, 301 E. Broadway, in Alton. $50 tickets include dinner and open bar. Visit www.snipalliance.org for more information.
David Blanchette is a freelance photographer and reporter for the Telegraph.
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