MENDOTA - Tracy Cooper, director of Mendota Area Christian Food Pantry in Mendota, will now be able to display the new sign and banner provided by University of Illinois Extension in two locations. In addition to Mendota, since September, Cooper has been distributing food two Thursdays a month from a mobile food pantry at the city hall in Earlville. She will use the banners and signs at both locations to help clients easily find them on distribution days.

Currently, the Mendota Area Christian Food Pantry serves 110 households per month at the two locations. Local food pantries are utilizing a drive thru/pick up model to minimize contact due to COVID-19 and the University of Illinois Extension Illinois Nutrition Education program of Marshall, Putnam, LaSalle and Bureau Counties is providing outdoor signs (through a special grant) with healthy messages to local food pantries as a new way to support partners during this difficult time.

If you are interested in learning more about how to partner with University of Illinois Extension for educational programming focusing on healthy nutrition and lifestyles including food budgeting and food safety, please call Jani Kidd, program coordinator, at (815) 224-0889 or Sherry Todas, program coordinator, at (815) 875-2878.