Dot Foods donates tractor to Northern Illinois Food Bank

Dot Foods donates tractor to Northern Illinois Food Bank

8 months, 1 week ago

A dry and refrigerated trailer was donated by Dot Foods to the food bank in 2011

Mt. Sterling, Ill. – Dot Foods, one of the area's largest employers, is donating a tractor from their fleet to Northern Illinois Food Bank as a follow up to a February 2011 donation of two trailers.  Both donations help the food bank in their quest to safely and consistently provide nutritious food to hungry neighbors across the 7,000-square mile area they serve in northern Illinois.

"We are very appreciative of this generous donation from Dot Foods to upgrade and expand our fleet," said Pete Schaefer, president and CEO, Northern Illinois Food Bank. "This tractor will help us get more food to more of our hungry neighbors."

One in eight people in northern Illinois faces hunger. Through a network of 700 partner feeding programs – food pantries, soup kitchens, shelter and youth and senior feeding centers – Northern Illinois Food Bank provides nutritious food to more than 60,000 people each week. Last year, Northern Illinois Food Bank provided 33.3 million meals to neighbors in need.

Dot's Fleet Maintenance group spent a significant amount of time preparing the 2007 Volvo VNL630 to make sure the 728,000-mile tractor was in top condition before the food bank took possession. A dry and refrigerated trailer was donated by Dot Foods to the food bank in 2011.

"This is an important donation to this organization because of what the food bank does for the community," said Tom Cooper, transportation manager at Dot's Joliet facility. "People depend upon them for food and meals, and we're glad to help them accomplish that."