Mayor Hagerty Reminds Residents About Holiday Food, Book And Toy Drive

Press release from the City of Evanston:

To ensure every Evanston family gets to celebrate this holiday season, Mayor Stephen Hagerty is encouraging all community members to participate in the 12th annual Mayor's Holiday Food, Book and Toy Drive.

Through Friday, December 11, the City is collecting new, unwrapped toys in addition to staple food items for holiday meals, including stuffing, green beans, yams, mac and cheese, corn and corn bread mix. The City is also collecting new and gently used children's books.

Items can be dropped off at locations throughout the city, including:

• Robert Crown Community Center & Library, 1801 Main St.
• Chandler-Newberger Center,1028 Central St.
• Evanston Ecology Center, 2024 McCormick Blvd.
• Fleetwood-Jourdain Center, 1655 Foster St.
• Levy Senior Center, 300 Dodge Ave.
• Main Evanston Public Library, 1703 Orrington Ave.
• First Northern Credit Union, 1705 Sherman Ave.
• Target, 1616 Sherman Ave.
• Jewel-Osco, 1128 Chicago Ave.
• Jewel-Osco, 2485 W. Howard St.
• Becky & Me Toys, 620 Grove St.

For more locations and drop-off hours, visit cityofevanston.org/holidaydonation or call/text 847-448-4311.

Thanks to the community's generosity in years past, significant funds are available to support this year's holiday donation drive. Residents interested in making a financial contribution are instead encouraged to donate to the Evanston Community Foundation's Evanston Community Rapid Response Fund, which assists residents most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor Hagerty is partnering with ECF to help raise $2 million in the final two months of 2020 to support those struggling with food insecurity, housing, and other unmet basic needs. Community members can donate to the campaign by visiting cityofevanston.org/EvanstonCares or sending a check to ECF, 1560 Sherman Ave., Suite 535, Evanston, IL 60201.

Families who wish to participate in the Holiday Food & Toy Drive to receive toys or food items must register by calling 311 between Tuesday, December 1 and Monday, December 14.

To learn more about Mayor Hagerty's Holiday Food, Book and Toy Drive, visit cityofevanston.org/holidaydonation or contact Ken Cherry at 847-448-4311. For convenience, residents may simply dial 3-1-1 in Evanston.

This press release was produced by the City of Evanston. The views expressed here are the author’s own.