Hundreds Of Families Helped At Evanston Family Focus Giveaway

EVANSTON, IL — More than 200 local families in need received donated food, clothes and toys Saturday at Family Focus in Evanston.

Cars lined up around the building for the opportunity to pick up items provided by several organizations in the community, according to Colette Allen, director of the Evanston center.

Children picked out 120 toys purchased by the local group Latinos Unidos in a effort organized by Tania Margonza. Families also received toys, coats, sneakers and socks courtesy of the Evanston Police Department.

Second Baptist Evanston provided 60 turkeys, with Soul & Smoke and World Century Kitchen offering donated warm meals. And local online grocery business Village Farmstand provided farm kits containing greens, seasonal vegetables and meat to families.

“I’m overwhelmed with the generosity of our customers who donated these farm boxes and I hope this is the first of many donations we can make to our fellow community members.” Village Farmstand owner and Evanston resident Matt Wechsler said in a statement.

In a normal year, Allen said, about two dozen families show up for a holiday donation distribution event. But this year, a significant amount of people served by the organization have become unemployed and food insecure.

"I know one family in particular, he lost his regular job and was doing UberEats to make money and somebody stole the car and the family had to move, had to leave the area because they could not survive," she said. "So there are many of those stories."

Allen said the greatest need for donations at Family Focus' Giving Storeroom other than cash to keep the group's food pantry stocked, is winter clothes and coats for young children.

The center director said the group has received support from many nearby groups and businesses, including the Justin Wynn Fund, Partnership Financial Credit Union, the Wilmette Women's Club, Wilmette Junior High and the Evanston Community Foundation.

With local nonprofits coordinating amongst themselves to identify and meet needs of Evanston residents — from providing support for families to pay for funerals of loved ones lost to COVID-19 to helping early child care providers secure coronavirus testing at the Civic Center — Allen said she was positively impressed with the way the Evanston community has stepped up in recent months.

"I just feel that Evanston has been extremely responsive," she said. "I've been in a nonprofit for a long long time and I've never seen anything like it."