Forest Park business collects 131 jars of peanut butter for Chicago food bank

Forest Park’s Team Blonde did its part this week to make sure there’s no shortage of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches this holiday season.

After WGN’s John Williams launched the Peanut Butter and Jolly Drive earlier this week, Team Blonde, at 7442 Madison St., signed on as a drop-off location. The salon collected jars of peanut butter that will be turned into WGN and then given to the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

The effort started when Williams heard that the Chicago Food Depository, like many food banks throughout the country, has a shortage of peanut butter, according to the Food Depository.

USA Today reported earlier this week that peanut prices have gone up some 30 percent; what’s more, less peanut butter is available through federal donations than in the past.

So Team Blonde set up a drop-off center yesterday and rounded up 131 jars of peanut butter in only eight hours.

“People came in because they could do something like this,” said Heidi Vance, Team Blonde co-owner.

Vance said she’ll deliver the peanut butter to WGN today and later the station will donate all the jars that were collected at participating drop-off centers to the Food Depository.

Peanut butter is an important item for food banks because it’s mostly nutritious and makes up a well-rounded snack. The Chicago Food Depository isn’t the only food bank in need of the staple item – the Forest Park Food Pantry could also use some additional peanut butter.

To donate to the Forest Park Food Pantry, call Karen Dylewski, community center director, at 708-771-7737; or to give directly to the Chicago Food Depository, contact the organization at 773-247-3663.