Help-by-Phone local food pantry volunteers delivered groceries on August 3 for victims of the recent Franklin Park fire. They took them to the bustling temporary relief center on Springhill Lane. Each of eight families who lost their homes to the fire and are awaiting their replacement apartments will be able to stock their new kitchens with a full complement of groceries. Help-by-Phone volunteers Ron Dobson and Lesley Kash packed the dozens of bags of groceries in Help-by-Phone’s food pantry in the Trinity Moravian Church on Good Luck Road. Dobson, who works a shift in the pantry every week, normally just packs for one family at a time, so this was a workout. “We are happy to help people in need,” he said, as he hauled down and sliced open cartons of donated cereal, tuna, soup, applesauce and you-name-it. The relief center set up by Franklin Park’s management is elbow-to-elbow with energetic staff and enthusiastic volunteers.
While busy sorting and organizing the many donations, they greet donors with appreciation, ready to make friends, chat and say goodbye with a hug. Six people appeared at a moment’s notice and filled two vehicles with the groceries.
“Thank you so much for the food!” said Janet Johnson of Franklin Park’s Accounts Payable department, who has volunteered to manage the relief effort. Her concern for the residents clearly extends beyond this disaster. Johnson’s ongoing concern for Franklin Park residents was noticeable when she said, “If you could send me the phone number for the food bank we will give it to our residents who are going through a rough patch.”