HARRISBURG, Ill. (WSIL) --- The Fowler-Bonan Foundation is celebrating a special anniversary for an entity that serves the homeless and residents in need.
On Tuesday, the group held a picnic to mark the four-year anniversary of the opening of Heaven's Kitchen in Harrisburg. Residents were invited to Harrisburg Park to celebrate with free food, snow cones and music.
Heaven's Kitchen opened in 2018 with the goal of fighting hunger and providing clothes. In 2020 over 600 kids and individuals were provided with full and partial wardrobes and over 17,000 meals served, according to its .
The celebration coincides with 4C's Food Pantry's struggles trying to maintain its stock amid growing demand, according to director Mona Crim.
"We're seeing more people than we're seeing before but the commodities is what we're seeing less of," Crim said.
About 6.7% of U.S. households reported using a pantry in 2020, a more-than 2% increase from 2019 (4.4%), according to from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Crim says Heaven's Kitchen is a big help to the community because it gives homeless residents a place to get a hot meal.
"There are some people that don't even have a place to cook their food so they're opening up cans and eating out the cans," Crim said. "Harrisburg is seeing a lot of homeless people at this point."
To help address the rising number of homeless people according to Crim, 4C's is expected to move the food pantry and other operations to a building across the street.
That will allow 4C's to renovate its old, current location and expand the homeless shelter. Crim expects the building to be completed by October with renovations to the old building happening soon after.
Crim says the food pantry is in need of volunteers to help stock and distribute food. You can call Mona Crim at 618-252-3931 to volunteer.