CITGO Refinery Supports Lemont Food Pantry with 'Christmas in July' Drive

For the 11th year in a row, the CITGO Lemont Refinery Community Action Team (CCAT) spread Christmas joy in the middle of summer by collecting food and household items for eight area food pantries and domestic violence shelters.

From July 12 through Aug. 1,  CCAT members placed boxes at designated collection sites throughout the refinery grounds, and asked employees to donate toiletries, linens, school supplies, and food for local families in need.

The "Christmas in July" donation drive for food banks and domestic violence shelters was established 11 years ago as a way to help keep local organizations' shelves stocked with supplies year-round, since many food pantries and shelters see dwindling donations and support during the summer months, according to a press release.

"We are so grateful to all of the CITGO Lemont Refinery employees for their generosity and thoughtfulness," said Lori Olkiewicz at the , one of the organizations that received donations from CITGO. "Every year, our supplies are stretched thin during the summer months when people's minds are on vacation, and not on those in need. Thanks to the CITGO food drive, we will be able to provide even more substantial and nutritious meals for the people we serve."

CITGO employees donated a total of five large storage containers full of non-perishable food items and essential household products to the chosen charities. The donations benefited the Bethany Food Pantry of Lemont, the DuPage Township Pantry in Romeoville, the Guardian Angel Home, Lamb's Fold, the Crisis Center for South Suburbia, Daybreak Shelter in Joliet, and Lockport's FISH and Fairmont Food Pantries.

The CITGO Lemont Refinery employs more than 800 local residents on a full-time and contract basis. 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, according to a press release.

For more information on the CITGO Lemont Refinery, visit www.citgorefining.com/Lemont.

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