Springfield, Illinois (November 22, 2016) – Central Illinois Foodbank received an early Christmas gift this holiday season. Sysco Central Illinois donated a mobile kitchen cart to the Foodbank in October to help the Foodbank further their healthy food initiative. The cart will be used to teach adults and children how to prepare and cook the food they are receiving at the Foodbank’s Healthy Foods Distributions.
“This has been a dream of mine for a long time,” said Central Illinois executive director, Pam Molitoris. “I have always believed that we shouldn’t just provide food for those in our communities that are hungry, we should help them to become self-sustainable by teaching them a life skill that can help them for years to come.”
The mobile cart comes equipped with a cook top and convection oven to heat the food, as well as a working sink that can be used without hooking up to a water source. Pans, bowl, knives and other cooking utensils were also packaged with the mobile kitchen.
The mobile kitchen cart made its mobile pantry debut at a healthy food distribution on November 15th, which served over 1,000 individuals. Local dieticians provide the instruction for the mobile food cart preparing healthy foods that people can easily prepare on their own.
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ABOUT THE CENTRAL ILLINOIS FOODBANK
Central Illinois Foodbank, established in 1982, distributes more than 9 million pounds of food annually to over 150 food pantries, soup kitchens, residential programs and after-school programs in a 21 county region. Central Illinois Foodbank is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization. The mission of the Foodbank is to collect donated food and grocery items from growers, manufacturers, processors, wholesalers and retailers for distribution to charitable agencies serving people in need.