Two local organizations have received permission from the Mount Carmel City Council to conduct street corner fundraisers this fall to benefit college students and families in need.
During the recent city council meeting, Kyle Peach of Wabash Valley College requested permission to hold the college's annual fundraiser on Saturday, November 7th, benefiting the FRESH program.
FRESH stands for Food Resources Erase Student Hunger and provides food, snacks, and personal hygiene items to Wabash Valley College students experiencing food insecurity.
Peach told council members that studies indicate 40 to 50 percent of college students experience food insecurity at some point during their college years.
He said the program continues to see significant use, with money collected during the fundraiser going directly toward keeping its shelves stocked.
The fundraiser is also part of Wabash Valley College's annual November food drive competition among Illinois Eastern Community Colleges.
Peach said Wabash Valley has won the district competition so many consecutive years that the traveling trophy has essentially found a permanent home at the college.
The schools also combine their collections for a statewide community college food drive competition, where the district finished fourth last year.
Members of the Wabash Valley College baseball team will once again help collect donations at intersections around Mount Carmel.
The council approved the request, with Mayor Joe Judge reminding organizers to make sure volunteers wear safety vests.
Meanwhile, Melissa Smith of Operation Share received permission to conduct a similar fundraiser on Saturday, November 14th.
Smith told council members that demand for assistance increased significantly last year, particularly for holiday gifts and food assistance.
Operation Share has moved away from distributing traditional Thanksgiving turkeys and Christmas hams, instead providing 25-dollar Buy Low gift cards to families in need.
Smith explained that some families lack the equipment or ability to prepare large holiday meals, making grocery gift cards a more practical way to provide assistance.
She said rising costs have made it increasingly difficult to meet the growing demand, and additional donations would allow Operation Share to help more families.
The fundraiser will also give volunteers an opportunity to distribute information about Operation Share's holiday bell-ringing campaign, which has experienced volunteer shortages.
Council members agreed to the November 14th date, despite the two fundraisers being scheduled on consecutive Saturdays.
Again, Wabash Valley College's FRESH fundraiser is scheduled for November 7th, while Operation Share will collect donations on November 14th. Both will take place at street intersections in Mount Carmel.