Lace School Holding Pet Food Drive

Help out dogs and cats in need by bringing pet food, as well as paper goods, to Lace from May 10-18.

When people find themselves facing hard times, it often proves difficult for their pets as well. Lace School students are doing their part to help pets in need by hosting a pet food drive May 10-18. The school's PAWS club is collecting pet food, kitty litter and paper goods such as napkins and plates, which it will donate to the Wet Nose Pet Food Pantry in Downers Grove. "Even one bag of food can make a difference," the pantry representative said.

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Lions Club Delivers Food Baskets To Help Families in Need

The Lions Club and Darien Park District along with many volunteers came together Saturday morning to help sort and deliver 206 meals to less fortunate families in the community.

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Hinsdale Food Shelf Looking for Thanksgiving Meal Donations

HCS Family Services is partnering with a local grocer to gather 400 meals for needy families.

With about a week left in its Thanksgiving food drive, HCS Family Services has yet to reach its goal and is still looking for donations from the community, according to HCS food pantry coordinator Julie Suarez.  HCS is partnering with Kramer Foods in its effort to collect 400 holiday meals for needy families in a food drive scheduled to end Nov. 14. Kramer shoppers are encouraged to fill a grocery bag with, and donate to HCS, one set of all the Thanksgiving regulars—stuffing mix, potatoes, corn, beans, cranberry sauce, chicken broth, gravy, and coffee—and then purchase a $20 "Turkey Ticket" good for one turkey and one pumpkin pie. Suarez said Tuesday that HCS will accept bags from shoppers who filled it at a different grocery store. …

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Lions Deliver More than 14 Tons of Food to Needy Families

The club helped more than 200 families Saturday through its annual Food Basket Program.

Bags of groceries seven deep surrounded the gym at the Darien Park District Community Center Saturday morning. That wasn't the only space overflowing with canned goods, boxes of macaroni and cartons of oatmeal. There were more provisions in a meeting room. And in the parking lot was a truck filled with gallons of milk, hams and turkeys ready for roasting. But the bountiful cornucopia didn't last long at the Community Center. Dozens of Lions arrived bright and early to deliver the donated foodstuffs, along with wrapped toys, to needy families in Darien and neighboring suburbs. During the past few weeks, the Lions Club gathered nonperishable food items, as well as cash donations, as part of its annual Food Basket Program. Over the same time …

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Indian Prairie Takes in Big Haul during Food for Fines

Indian Prairie Library’s Food for Fines program gives back to the community one can at a time.

Even though most patrons donate nonperishable food items to Indian Prairie Public Library's Food for Fines program so they get a $1 off their fine for each good, Barb Keleher of Darien donates a grocery bag full of food every year—even though she has no fines.  "Some people just donate, like I had a lady today who only owed $2, but she gave me five items," said Debra Sheehan, the Darien library's department head of circulation. This year Food for Fines ran from Dec. 4-9.  Although some residents donate without a fine, Sheehan remembers one patron last year who owed more than $200 in fines. That resident brought in cases of food.  Each year, residents constantly ask Sheehan when and whether they'll be doing the Food for Fine Program again…

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Month in Review: A Prostitution Sting with a Twist Gets Top Spot

The most popular stories on Darien Patch during November.

November was a busy month for the City of Darien as well as all of us here at Darien Patch, which celebrated its one-month anniversary Monday. Take a peek back at the most popular stories on Darien Patch during the past four weeks. 10. Man Charged in Triple Murder Seeks Visitation Rights with Son Johnny Borizov, the Willow Springs man charged in connection with the March murder of three members of a Darien family, requested visitation rights with his 21-month-old son. DuPage Circuit Court Judge Daniel Guerin will hear arguments from the prosecution against that motion Dec. 16, according to the State's Attorneys Office. 9. Parents Experience A Day in the Life at Cass Jr. High Kids got to show their parents how tough it can be to switch …

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What You May Have Missed While Eating Turkey

Five stories to catch you up on last week.

Thanksgiving is for food, family and taking a break from your laptop. Here are five stories to get you caught up on what happened in Darien last week. Four Car Burglaries Reported on Sequoia Lane A GPS, laptop and more were stolen from four cars on the 1400 and 1500 blocks of Sequoia Lane. Three of the four cars were unlocked. Lock those car doors! Lions Club Delivers Food, Toys and Smiles during Annual Drive The Lions Club kicked off its annual food drive. Drop off nonperishable food items at bins around Darien now through Dec. 14. Friday Night Fun Club Prepares a Feast of Food and Friendship  This SEASPAR social club celebrated an early Thanksgiving by cooking dinner and giving thanks at Darien Sportsplex. Make Your List and Check It …

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Giving Thanks

Lions Club Delivers Food, Toys and Smiles during Annual Drive

Now through Dec. 14 the club will be collecting donations throughout town.

The Darien Lions Club expects to see a lot of tears when they knock on area doors this Dec. 18. But it's not a bad thing. It's just the usual reaction the members get when delivering food baskets as part of the club's annual holiday food drive. "In most cases, [people cry] tears of happiness," said this year's Food Basket co-chair and past club president, Bill Bucholz. "They say, 'Oh god bless you. This is just God sent because we didn't have anything coming.' They are very, very, very sincere and thankful." For more than 30 years, the Lions Club has brought a little more joy into needy families' homes during the holiday season through its food drive, going on now through Dec. 14. This year, the club hopes to feed 200 families in Darien, …

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District 86 Approves 4% Tax Levy Increase

At last night's board meeting, Hinsdale Township High School District 86 approved an increase in its tax levy for the 2011-2012 fiscal year. The board also shared student successes stories.

Updated:  Nov. 18 Residents within the boundaries of Hinsdale Township High School District 86 will see an increase in the amount of taxes they owe the district next year.    At Monday's District 86 Board of Education meeting, the board unanimously approved the Tentative 2010 Real Estate Property Tax Levy which will increase the district's tax levy by about 4 percent over the 2009 Tax Extention. The increase reflects a Consumer Price Index of 2.7 percent with additional room to capture new construction costs. This will bring in up to about $82 million in new construction dollars to be used for the district's 2011-2012 fiscal year budget, according to a statement released by the District 86 Board of Education. On Nov. 1, the board …

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Giving Thanks

Hinsdale South Groups Collect More Than 10 Tons of Food During Drive

Students in the National Honor Society and Key Club at Hinsdale South High School are wrapping up their 26th Annual Food Drive with a goal to collect 20,000 pounds of food for local food pantries.

Hinsdale South surpassed its goal of collecting 20,000 pounds of food during its annual food drive - and that was before the last day of the drive even started. Over the course of just four days, students, community members and local businesses contributed approximately 21,000 pounds of food to the school's 26th Annual Food Drive. The drive officially ran from November 8-12 and collected food for three local pantries. Sponsored by the Hinsdale South High School National Honor Society and Key Club, the food drive is primarily a student-driven effort, according to Matt Swedko, technology education instructor and Key Club sponsor at Hinsdale South. Swedko said things started a little slower this year, partly because the groups moved the dates…

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