Community Corner
EP Youth Department Completes Food Drive
Three-month drive benefits the Evergreen Park Village Pantry
The Evergreen Park Youth Department is more than simply a place for EP students to come and play games. “We try to keep the students involved in helping the community,” stated Ms. Pyeisha Allen, Youth Department Director. “We want our neighbors to know that we are here for them, no matter their personal circumstance.”
From this incentive came the idea for a Community Food Drive, held from February through April, coordinated by the Youth Department, who can be found in the Maher Community Center at 3450 W. 97th Street.
“Our tagline for the program was ‘Neighbors Helping Neighbors’ and this was a combined effort of our Department and the Evergreen Park Village Pantry Coalition,” Ms. Pyeisha added. “We asked for things like canned goods, pasta and pasta sauce, peanut butter and jelly, laundry soap and more. The donation box in our office filled up quickly!”
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Altogether, the Youth Department collected over two hundred items during the drive, which has been delivered to the Village Pantry. The Pantry is available for Evergreen Park residents in need, and is located at 2704 W. 98th Place, with pickup hours every Friday morning from 9:30am to 12:00pm.
“We want to say special thanks to the Sigma Gamma Rho-Philo Affiliates, whose Oak Lawn chapter collected quite a bit of food for us and brought wagonloads to the Community Center last week,” Ms. Pyeisha added. “Ruth Chambers is the Program Chair and Rosemary Paige is the President. We thank them so much for adding to our collection and lending such wonderful support.”
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EP Youth Community Chores Program
The Youth Department also has teens available for Evergreen Park residents who need light chores done. The EP Youth Community Chores Program is coordination between the office and residents who need things done around the house, like cutting grass, raking leaves, weeding, light odd jobs or moving furniture (they are unable to operate heavy machinery). You can always call the Youth Department if you need some help, or if you have a teen who would like to volunteer for the program. Ms. Pyeisha can be reached at (708) 229-3377.
The Youth Department Facebook page is “Evergreen Park Youth Department”; they also have an Instagram, “epyouthdept”.
