Illinois Valley Food Pantry Plans 40th Anniversary Open House

LASALLE – The Illinois Valley Food Pantry is planning an open house to celebrate their 40th anniversary. On Thursday, the public is invited to tour the pantry, located at 122 Wright Street in LaSalle from 4 to 6 PM. The IV Food Pantry was founded in 1982 to help provide temporary assistance to people in the community who have lost their jobs because of factory closings. The role and scope of the pantry has changed over the years as demand has grown to meet the needs of residents who need assistance. In 2022 the pantry undertook a new role, providing additional food during the summer months to families with children who usually get breakfast and lunch at school during the school year. Mary Jo Credi, the pantry’s executive director, said they are on track to provide 285,000 pounds of food to more than 10,000 people by the end of the year. The pantry serves the residents of LaSalle, Peru, Oglesby, Utica, Tonica, Cedar Point, Lostant and the surrounding rural areas.
“It’s not just the suddenly jobless whom we serve. Senior citizens, the disabled, and others living on fixed incomes also frequently struggle financially with finding enough to eat, especially now when inflation is driving up the cost of everything, including food,” said Credi.