SPRINGFIELD – Illinois Treasurer Michael Frerichs is returning $100,000 in missing money to food pantries throughout the state.
Each December, Frerichs’ office focuses on returning money through the ICash program to nonprofit groups that help people in need. This year, Frerichs decided to help food pantries that saw resources stretched and demand spike when the federal government shutdown stopped food assistance to many Illinois families in November.
“Food pantries always step up to feed people in need,” Frerichs said. “It’s been a challenging year with federal cutbacks to food banks earlier in the year. The Trump administration opting to cut off food assistance to our state’s neediest folks last month was a double whammy. We wanted to see if we could help, when our local food pantries put meals on the table for millions of Illinoisans.”
On Thursday, Frerichs visited the food pantry at 4 K.I.D.S. Sake in the southwest suburbs to return $5,500 to the nonprofit. Twice this year, thieves stole the catalytic converters from their donation trucks to sell for scrap metal. The latest theft happened in November.
The Bolingbrook nonprofit was founded in 2012 by Theresa Watson when she was 17 and saw that needs of so many children in difficult situations were not being met. Since then, the charity has helped more than 10,000 children. 4 K.I.D.S. Sake has a food pantry and resale shop.
“This money will help as we try to meet the needs of families during the holiday season,” Watson said. “We pick up six days a week. Our trucks are critical to serving families. These thefts have been devastating, but we’re strong and resilient.”
The money for 4 K.I.D.S Sake came to the Illinois Treasurer’s Office from a health insurance company last year.
“What those thieves did to 4 K.I.D.S Sake’s trucks is unconscionable. This group does so much to help people, and we are happy to be able to do something to help them, especially at such an important time of year,” said Frerichs, who returned the money along with Bolingbrook Mayor Mary Alexander-Basta, State Sen. Meg Loughran-Cappel of Shorewood, and State Reps. Natalie Manley of Joliet and Dagmara Avelar of Romeoville.
Illinois’ unclaimed property program, also known as ICash, is one of the state’s oldest consumer protection initiatives. In Illinois, the state treasurer is tasked with safeguarding unclaimed property, such as the contents of overlooked safe deposit boxes, unpaid life insurance benefits, forgotten bank accounts and unused rebate cards.
Illinois holds more than $5 billion in unclaimed property. More than $2.4 billion has been returned since Frerichs took office, the most in state history. To see if you have unclaimed property, check the online database at icash.illinoistreasurer.gov. The state treasurer is legally required to return unclaimed property to its owners or heirs, no matter how long it takes.
Here is a list of the 86 food pantries (by county) that Treasurer Frerichs is returning money to this month:
BOONE
Belvidere
Grace Family Church – $541.60
Capron
Empower Boone – $15,125.16
BUREAU
Princeton
Bureau County Food Pantry – $1,500
CHAMPAIGN
Urbana
Eastern Illinois Foodbank – $148.21
COOK
Berwyn
Ebenezer Christian Reformed Church – $1,925.65
Bridgeview
The Mosque Foundation – $200
Chicago
A Little Bit of Heaven – $44.25
A Safe Haven Foundation – $504
ABJ Civic Arts Center – $409.16
Allen Metropolitan Christian Methodist Episcopal Church – $317.90
American Indian Center – $16,075.09
Apostolic Pentecostal Church of Morgan Park – $124.47
Faith Tabernacle Baptist Church – $516.20
Firman Community Services – $1,552.05
Greater Chicago Food Depository – $69.21
Henry Booth House – $418
Iglesia Amor de Dios United Methodist Church – $47.70
Lincoln Park Community Services – $139.41
Northwestern Settlement – $100
Open Arms Ministry – $110.28
Perfected Way Ministries – $300.77
Pilsen Wellness Center Inc. – $223.19
Polish American Association – $686.40
Saint Vincent dePaul Center – $140.04
Sixth Grace Presbyterian Church – $100
St Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church – $1,000
Chicago Heights
Chicago Miracle Temple Church – $293.14
Glenview
Northfield Township Food Pantry – $501
Maywood
The Second Baptist Church – $272.64
Mount Prospect
Northwest Compass, Inc. – $84
Oak Park
Beyond Hunger – $30.15
Palatine
Palatine Township – $205.35
Posen
Abounding Life Church of God in Christ – $754.02
Rolling Meadows
Harvest Bible Chapel – Rolling Meadows – $245.61
South Barrington
Willow Creek Care Center – $1,241.77
Tinley Park
Together We Cope – $91.50
DEKALB
DeKalb
Hope Haven of DeKalb County, Inc. – $120
DUPAGE
Carol Stream
Interfaith Food Pantry – $22.58
Elmhurst
Elmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry – $602
Lisle
Lisle Township Food Pantry – $150
Reach Community Services – $35
Lombard
Lombard Villa Park Food Pantry – $100
Naperville
Loaves & Fishes Community Services – $61.18
Warrenville
St. Irene Catholic Church – $75
HANCOCK
Carthage
Hancock County Health Department – $350
HENRY
Cambridge
GROW Ministries Inc. – $90
Geneseo
Geneseo-Atkinson Food Pantry – $75
Orion
Orion Area Food Pantry – $250
KANE
Aurora
Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry – $5,006.40
Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry – $47.51
Two Rivers Head Start Agency – $2,965.36
Carpentersville
FISH Food Pantry – $8,991.42
Elgin
First United Methodist Church – $254.66
Geneva
Northern Illinois Food Bank – $218.23
KANKAKEE
Kankakee
Kankakee County Community Services, Inc. – $611.16
KENDALL
Yorkville
Kendall County Community Food Pantry – $69.87
LAKE
Round Lake Park
Avon Township Center Food Pantry – $328.43
Waukegan
COOL Food Pantry – $1,145
Club Apaseo El Alto – $999.45
Community Action Partnership of Lake County – $12,192.81
Zion
Christian Faith Fellowship Church – $103.92
LOGAN
Lincoln
Lincoln Logan Food Pantry – $278
MADISON
Edwardsville
Glen-Ed Pantry – $100
McLEAN
Normal
Midwest Food Bank – $746.76
PEORIA
Bartonville
Bartonville Christian Church – $103.98
Peoria
Neighborhood House – $1,319.27
Saint Sharbel Maronite Catholic Church – $60.48
The Salvation Army – $1,676.38
Zion Baptist Church – $113.24
West Peoria
Bread of Life West Peoria – $180.05
ROCK ISLAND
Moline
River Bend Food Bank – $244.47
Rock Island
Project Now – $764.18
ST. CLAIR
East St. Louis
Call For Help – $500
East St. Louis Township – $1,072.60
Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House – $123.67
Freeburg
Food and Clothing Bank – $212.88
STEPHENSON
German Valley
German Valley Food Pantry – $150
VERMILION
Danville
Danville Rescue – $2,070.20
WARREN
Monmouth
Jamieson Community Center – $97.33
WHITESIDE
Sterling
Sauk Valley Foodbank – $1,177.64
Whiteside County Senior Center – $873.73
WILL
Bolingbrook
4 K.I.D.S. Sake – $5,499.45
Frankfort
Frankfort Township Food Pantry – $997.37
Joliet
Warren-Sharpe Community Center – $108.02
WILLIAMSON
Marion
Marion Ministerial Alliance – $72.52
WINNEBAGO
Rockford
Remedies Renewing Lives – $97.13
About the Treasurer
The Illinois State Treasurer’s Office is a powerful economic engine that invests in people to drive prosperity, development and growth throughout the state. As State Treasurer, Michael Frerichs (FRAIR’iks) is the state’s Chief Investment and Banking Officer and actively manages approximately $60 billion. The investments help families pay for college and trade school; workers save for a dignified retirement; and local governments process bill payments more efficiently so they can pass along the savings to taxpayers. The office provides financial institutions with money to loan to farmers, small business owners, and qualified individuals at below-market rates because better jobs create stronger communities. The office operates the state’s largest consumer-protection initiative, the missing money ICash program, which has returned a record-breaking $2.4 billion since Frerichs was elected.