The Ravinia Family and staff donated non-perishable foods and other goods this holiday season to support organizations in Lawndale, Waukegan, Evanston, and Highwood. The idea to give back to the community came up in the festival’s Anti-Racism Discussion Group, held weekly for staff members to discuss current world situations.
“The food drive just came up organically in a conversation where we were talking about what we can do to make a difference in our immediate community, because we were talking about how COVID is disproportionately affecting Black and Brown communities, which leads to a feeling of helplessness,” Kendra Stevens, Ravinia’s Payroll and Benefits Manager, said. “It was really a way for us to do something concrete to help in our immediate vicinity.”
Before Thanksgiving, on behalf of the Anti-Racism Discussion Group, Stevens and Duncan Moss, Ravinia’s Associate Director of Ticket Operations, invited staff to donate supplies to Connections for the Homeless and St. James Parish in Highwood.
Ravinia staff collected and donated items that the two organizations needed, including clothing, medicine, food, toilet paper, paper towel, and more. Both Stevens and Moss noted that donating to food drives during a pandemic sometimes takes a little extra effort.
“The staff took the effort to do extra shopping during the pandemic, which is hard enough,” Moss said, “and then bring these items in to Ravinia—at a time when they’re not normally coming in—to drop them off. Definitely some extra effort, which is awesome!”
The success of the first drive led to a second drive being organized during between December 3 and December 10. Ravinia staff invited the entire Ravinia Family to donate dry goods, non-perishable foods, and soap and hand sanitizers to two organizations serving Reach Teach Play–partnered communities: Project VIDA in Lawndale and Most Blessed Trinity Parish in Waukegan. Trish Dolan and Ann Storlie, Ravinia’s Associate Director and Assistant Manager of Retail Operations, helped collect food during The Festival Shop’s curbside pickup and saw a great turnout.
“I think our Ravinia Food Drive was a great opportunity to connect with patrons and customers, while also showcasing what makes Ravinia so special—supporting the community,” Storlie said. “This is what had drawn me to Ravinia in the first place, that we are a not-for-profit and do much more than provide music on the Lawn.”