Food Drive Spurred by $5,000 From PAMCANI

Downers Grove, Ill.: Feb. 10, 2009 –– To spur further contributions of food and cash by the general public as well as by union members and contractors, a $5,000 contribution has been made by PAMCANI, the Plumbing and Mechanical Contractors Authority of Northern Illinois, to its month-long 2009 February Food drive. All contributions go to the Northern Illinois Food Bank (NIFB), St. Charles, which serves 13 counties in Northern Illinois. The drive also is sponsored by the UA Plumbers & Pipe Fitters Local 501, Aurora, and UA Plumbers Local 93, Volo.

Gathered to witness the $5,000 contribution are (l-r) PAMCANI board members and officers David Ariano of Ravinia Plumbing & Heating Co. Inc., Highland Park, vice president; Tom Bargiel of David Thomas Mechanical, Inc., St. Charles; Chuck Harding of Harding Heating & Air Conditioning, Schaumburg; Lori L. Abbott of Abbott Industries, Inc,, Bensenville, treasurer; Dieter Holz of Apex Plumbing, Wood Dale; Dick Kuhn of RJ Kuhn Plumbing & Heating, Inc., Oswego; and Dick Browning of Arrow Plumbing & Heating, Aurora.

“We chose to run our food drive in February rather near the winter holiday season, which is typical, because the need indeed is year round,” explained S.J. Peters, executive director of PAMCANI. Peters pointed out that every $1.00 donated provides up to 8 lbs. of food due to the reach and buying power of NIFB.

“As food and fuel prices continue to climb and jobs are lost at an alarming rate, many more families are finding it hard to make ends meet. The Northern Illinois Food Bank is extremely grateful to PAMCANI and all participants who recognize that need and are rising to the occasion to help their hungry neighbors,” said Shannon Thompson, NIFB promotions manager.

Donations of canned goods and other non-perishable food items are being accepted from the community at selected PAMCANI member locations and at the union offices through Feb. 28 – as will checks made out to the “Northern Illinois Food Bank.”

Donations are welcome from the community at large as well, in particular, as from contractors’ staff, families, friends, suppliers and customers plus union members, staff, families and friends. Donation sites are listed below.

For more information about the February Food Drive, contact S.J. Peters at (630) 960-3970 or (800) 273-5966.

PAMCANI is comprised of nearly 400 union contractors and sustaining members who provide and maintain plumbing, heating and cooling systems for institutional, commercial, business and residential applications. Led by the PAMCANI Alliance (the contractors’ association), this non-profit trade organization invests over $3 million annually in the promotion, advancement, education and training of apprentices, journeymen and contractors, and actively works to raise awareness about water and energy conservation. Headquartered in Downers Grove, PAMCANI represents its contractor members in their relationships with unions having jurisdiction in DuPage, DeKalb, Kane, Kendall, Lake and McHenry Counties.

Northern Illinois Food Bank (NIFB) is a non-profit organization that provides food to all those in need through its 520 partner agencies in the following 13 counties - Boone, DuPage, DeKalb, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Will and Winnebago. NIFB acquires, gathers, handles and distributes donated, government and purchased food to more than 40,600 different people each week through local food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, youth activity centers and other food assistance sites. In 2008, NIFB distributed over 22.5 million pounds of food.