Holy Pierogi food truck owner Gandi Falcon has lived in Aurora for 30 years, so he knows the great things his city has to offer. When the coronavirus pandemic broke out, Falcon’s business took a hit, but he knew he had to help the community in any way he could.
“Just like everyone else, our family has been affected by [the coronavirus],” Falcon said. “We realized early on that the need to help one [an]other was going to be critical, so I started thinking on ways we can be of service.”
On March 30, National Doctors’ Day, Falcon served more than 600 free lunches to staff at Aurora’s AMITA Health Mercy Medical Center.
In 2008, the Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA) launched the Pork Power: Partnering to Fight Hunger in Illinois campaign to provide pork products to food banks throughout Illinois.
Farmweld, a hog raising equipment manufacturer and strong supporter of both the Pork Power Program and IPPA, donated $1,000 to Pork Power to feed struggling families during the COVID-19 crisis. The company’s president, Frank Brummer, matched Farmweld’s contribution.
The outbreak of COVID-19 has given new urgency to some of our best practices when it comes to keeping clean. That’s why it may be more frustrating to find cleaning products such as toilet paper, soap, bleach, or hand sanitizer.
One company has changed their whole manufacturing scope to address the high demand for cleanliness.
Skylar Nutrition, a Rushville company known for livestock wellness, has dedicated their focus to the production of hand sanitizer as a result of coronavirus.
In the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic, widespread face mask shortages are putting front line workers across Illinois at risk. Novias Davila bridal shop in Little Village has joined the fight against the spread of the virus by using their sewing expertise to produce cloth masks for jails, hospitals and many other frontline service providers.
Novias Davila, located at 3535 W. 26th St., has been making bridal dresses for over two decades. The business has always been active in the Little Village community, so when the governor’s Stay at Home Order went into effect, manager Patty Navarro said simply closing up shop wasn’t an option.
“We heard on the news that there was a shortage of masks and we really wanted to help our community the only way we know how,” said Navarro. “So we started making masks in a way to help our community overcome this.”
The small team of eight has been hard at work. According to their Facebook page, from March 20, to April 17 they produced and donated over 17,000 masks.