The three volunteer co-chairs of the Holiday Food and Gift Basket program have gotten through the first of this year’s huge challenges: They found sponsors for the additional 180 names on their list of people in need. Now the next big challenge: Getting organized for the daylong process of getting the gift baskets delivered.
As it has for the last decade, United Lutheran Church in Oak Park again is helping the program as for drop-offs and storage. From Dec. 5 to Dec.12, the church hall at 409 Greenfield will be basket central. But finding people to clear the food and baskets out of the church and get those gifts to the people who need them is the current priority.
Starting Saturday, about five to 10 volunteers will help out each night to organize gifts by arranging drop-offs. On delivery day Dec. 12, the following Saturday, about 50 to 75 drivers will be needed.
Two volunteers already raising their hands for this job are Dave and Kathy Paoli of Oak Park. The Paolis have been making a round of deliveries to The Oaks, at 114 S. Humphrey, and to the Ryan Farrelly Apartments, at 435 S. Humphrey, for a decade. The buildings are affordable housing complexes for the elderly and for people with disabilities.
Dave Paoli, an engineer, says they got involved with gift delivery when he and his wife sponsored their first family 10 years ago and heard that drivers were needed when they ran the gifts over to the church. They came back the next Saturday for delivery day. It was just a call to help that they answered, he says.
Kathy Paoli, an elementary school reading specialist, says they round up a whole group of volunteers: her parents, their nieces and nephews – which makes for a total of 10 kids, including three of their own. All it takes to volunteer, according to Kathy Paoli, is one car trip.
“It’s a small way to help out people and it’s a great way to show your kids how to help others,” she said.
Their effort that one morning a year means a lot. “The people at The Oaks know the day, and are waiting and get all excited,” Paoli says.
The organizing effort at United Lutheran, where bags of gifts consume the church hall, is amazing, says Mary-Jane Welters, one of the program’s co-chairs. “They essentially let us take over their entire facility for a week,” Welters said of United Lutheran, which she said also provides support through custodial help to set up tables for organizing the gifts. “It’s a tremendous amount of people who help out,” Welters said, mentioning Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops as some groups among the regular organizers..
Jon Dumpys is in his second year as pastor at United Lutheran Church. He’s seen the church taken over with gift bags. “It’s sad that it has to be the case, but there are people that need basic things to live,” Dumpys said.