LEMONT, Ill. – Dec. 18, 2015 – During its annual Fall Food Drive, the CITGO Lemont Refinery collected 150 grocery bags’ worth of food from employees and contractors to share with six local food pantries. Team CITGO, the refinery’s employee-run volunteer group, accepted donations of non-perishable food items from staff across the facility and delivered them to the Bethany Food Pantry, Day Break Shelter, DuPage Township Pantry, Fairmont Food Pantry, Lockport FISH Pantry and Romeoville Community Pantry.
While local food pantries receive support from larger organizations such as the Northern Illinois Food Bank, additional donations from the community are vital to keeping families fed throughout the year. According to Dora Brown, director of the Fairmont Food Pantry in Lockport, the annual drive by the CITGO Lemont Refinery makes a difference for the hungry during a critical time of year.
“This year’s food donation arrived at a really good time because donations are currently down. We haven’t been able to give families certain items like cereal, but thanks to CITGO, now we can," said Brown.
For many Americans, healthy food is in short supply. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, in 2014, 17.4 million American households lacked adequate access to nutritious food, including 3.7 million households with children. Food pantries play an essential role in providing safe, nourishing food to Americans in need.
In keeping with the commitment by Team CITGO to serving its neighbors, the Lemont Refinery has held a food drive annually since 2001. “Giving back to our neighbors is a part of our culture here at the CITGO Lemont Refinery,” said Jim Cristman, CITGO Lemont Refinery vice-president and general manager. “The local food pantries do an excellent job of distributing the food and serving those in need. We are thankful for the opportunity to support their efforts.”
About the CITGO Lemont Refinery
The CITGO Lemont Refinery employs more than 800 local residents on a full-time and contract basis in support of the local economy. In addition to producing high quality fuels for a large portion of the network of nearly 6,000 locally-owned CITGO stations across the country, Lemont refinery employees also make a major positive impact on the community. Each year, more than 2,500 volunteer hours and thousands of dollars are given in support of community programs such as Muscular Dystrophy Association, United Way and a variety of environmental and preservation programs. For more information on the CITGO Lemont Refinery, visit www.citgorefining.com/Lemont.
About CITGO
CITGO is a Houston-based refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products. The company is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc., an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. For more information, visit www.citgo.com.