November 20, 2008, Melrose Park, Illinois—Members of Pastoral Care at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital conducted a special spiritual ceremony on Friday, November 14 to bless food donations. Hospital employees and Fitness Center members contributed bags and boxes stuffed with groceries to benefit the Proviso Pantry, which has been feeding the needy for nearly 20 years. Sponsored by the River Forest United Methodist Church, the food is distributed weekly from the Cosmopolitan United Church located at 1112 N. Ninth Ave., Melrose Park.
“Gottlieb has conducted drives for us for a number of years but this is by far the largest and the most welcome,” said Barbara Stout, Co-Director. She says donations are sorely needed. “Last week we had 159 families requesting food supplies, up significantly from the 100 we were serving weekly just a few months ago.”
Reverend Michael Wasylik and Chaplain Jorge Maldonado offered a brief service in the hospital chapel and a blessing of the stacks of items including cans of soup, jars of peanut butter and boxes of cereal. The service included the telling of the popular Grimm Brothers’ fable, “Stone Soup,” where poor villagers combine their meager resources to create a hearty meal that feeds everyone.
"Loyola and Gottlieb are united in our commitment to supporting and improving the health of those in our community," said John Morgan, president, Gottlieb Memorial Hospital. "Gottlieb has conducted food drives to benefit the Proviso Food Pantry for many years," he continued. "Our staff and Fitness Center members are extremely generous when it comes to helping those in need."
After the ceremony, staff members loaded the dozens of bags and boxes into waiting Gottlieb vans, and delivered the items to the Proviso Food Pantry.
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM
