LEMONT, Ill.--Nov.  25, 2019 – CITGO Lemont Refinery employees and contractors recently collected eight truckloads of non-perishable food items for six local area food pantries just in time for Thanksgiving.

The fall food drive has been an annual event at the refinery for more than 20 years.  This year, volunteers distributed the items to the Bethany Food Pantry, Daybreak Shelter, DuPage Township Pantry, Fairmont Food Pantry, Lockport FISH Pantry and Romeoville Community Pantry.

According to Maureen Sobczak, a team leader at the Lockport Fish Pantry, the donated items from CITGO came at the right time because the pantry shelves were getting low.

“We serve an average of 50 client families a week, which means food goes fast.  At this time of year, with school in session and the holidays approaching, the items from the CITGO food drive stocked our shelves with desperately needed items like pasta, veggies and sauces,” said Sobczak.

Similarly, the Bethany Food Pantry reached out to the refinery at the beginning of October because their shelves were nearly bare.  The refinery was not only able to meet the initial request, but also delivered a load of additional food items at the close of the drive.

 “We are a part of the community so it's important for us to assist local families by supporting area food pantries. The outpouring of generosity from our employees and contractors this year was truly amazing," said Dennis Willig, CITGO Lemont Vice President and General Manager.

About the CITGO Lemont Refinery

For more than 90 years, CITGO Lemont Refinery has employed more than 750 Chicago area 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 more than 5,200 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. Operations at the Lemont Refinery began in 1925 and a major expansion doubled the facility in 1933. Over the years, new units were added to meet the demand for a better quality of gas for automobiles, aviation fuel for WWII, and the production of asphalt. For more information, visit www.citgolemont.com.

About CITGO
Headquartered in Houston, Texas, CITGO Petroleum Corporation is a recognized leader in the refining industry with a well-known brand. CITGO operates three refineries located in Corpus Christi, Texas; Lake Charles, La.; and Lemont, Ill., and wholly and/or jointly owns 48 terminals, nine pipelines and three lubricants blending and packaging plants. With approximately 3,500 employees and a combined crude capacity of approximately 769,000 barrels-per-day (bpd), CITGO is ranked as the fifth-largest, and one of the most complex independent refiners in the United States. CITGO transports and markets transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products and supplies a network of approximately 4,900 locally owned and operated branded retail outlets in 30 states and the District of Columbia. CITGO Petroleum Corporation is owned by CITGO Holding, Inc. For more information, visit www.CITGO.com.