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As the holidays are rapidly approaching, the East Peoria Youth Council is ensuring that all community families can partake in the season’s excitement.
Throughout the year, the Youth Council is responsible for many community projects, such as awarding college scholarships, supporting the Fondulac Library’s Summer Reading program and providing emergency clothing for students at the grade schools and junior high school.
However, when the holiday season approaches, the council begins its largest program: the Christmas Food Basket Drive.
“The council is comprised of people from throughout the community who have an interest in helping kids,” said Steve Minner, the East Peoria Youth Council president. “We try to get one or two high school students and one or two college aged people on the council to help us stay focused on current needs and trends.”
Each year, the members of the council work together to collect as many items as possible for the food baskets. The baskets consist of canned and boxed food donated by the community and are prepared in a box that is given to low-income families from East Peoria and Creve Coeur facing hardships with dependent children.
“We also provide a $20 to $30 gift certificate, depending on the size of the family, for the family to go purchase meat,” said Jackie Harrmann, wastewater superintendent and secretary of the Youth Council.
In addition to the nonperishable food items, the council recently began giving out stockings with candy and “trinkets” for smaller children.
Despite being in existence for years, the council continually receives suggestions on how to improve their food basket program and how to provide gifts that appeal to all age groups.
“That way every child can have something under the tree for Christmas,” said Minner.
In addition, a great deal of the advice comes from the many students who help out.
“(The students) probably know a little bit more about what kids like and would really like to have,” said Harrmann.
Aside from providing input on the program, students are largely responsible for the successful distribution of the baskets. Every year, students from Robein Grade School help put together the boxes, and on the Friday, families pick up their baskets. Central Junior High Student Council loads the baskets and takes them to the cars of the up to 300 families that benefit from the program each year.
“They seem to love helping and often get an eye-opening experience on distribution day,” said Minner. “Those kids take their time to help out and I think it’s huge, because kids do make a huge difference … it’s huge for any child that age to see how they can affect someone’s life.”
For more information on how to donate items, call Paula Smart at 427-7615.
As the holidays are rapidly approaching, the East Peoria Youth Council is ensuring that all community families can partake in the season’s excitement.
Throughout the year, the Youth Council is responsible for many community projects, such as awarding college scholarships, supporting the Fondulac Library’s Summer Reading program and providing emergency clothing for students at the grade schools and junior high school.
However, when the holiday season approaches, the council begins its largest program: the Christmas Food Basket Drive.
“The council is comprised of people from throughout the community who have an interest in helping kids,” said Steve Minner, the East Peoria Youth Council president. “We try to get one or two high school students and one or two college aged people on the council to help us stay focused on current needs and trends.”
Each year, the members of the council work together to collect as many items as possible for the food baskets. The baskets consist of canned and boxed food donated by the community and are prepared in a box that is given to low-income families from East Peoria and Creve Coeur facing hardships with dependent children.
“We also provide a $20 to $30 gift certificate, depending on the size of the family, for the family to go purchase meat,” said Jackie Harrmann, wastewater superintendent and secretary of the Youth Council.
In addition to the nonperishable food items, the council recently began giving out stockings with candy and “trinkets” for smaller children.
Despite being in existence for years, the council continually receives suggestions on how to improve their food basket program and how to provide gifts that appeal to all age groups.
“That way every child can have something under the tree for Christmas,” said Minner.
In addition, a great deal of the advice comes from the many students who help out.
“(The students) probably know a little bit more about what kids like and would really like to have,” said Harrmann.
Aside from providing input on the program, students are largely responsible for the successful distribution of the baskets. Every year, students from Robein Grade School help put together the boxes, and on the Friday, families pick up their baskets. Central Junior High Student Council loads the baskets and takes them to the cars of the up to 300 families that benefit from the program each year.
“They seem to love helping and often get an eye-opening experience on distribution day,” said Minner. “Those kids take their time to help out and I think it’s huge, because kids do make a huge difference … it’s huge for any child that age to see how they can affect someone’s life.”
For more information on how to donate items, call Paula Smart at 427-7615.
