Volunteers who helped the Chillicothe Community Needs Agency with the distribution of Christmas baskets last year lined up for a group photo. Residents in need can sign up for a Christmas basket through Dec. 11 at the CNA office 418 Wilmot St. during office hours 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Anyone interested in volunteering should visit the CNA Facebook page to sign up. (Photo courtesy of Community Needs Agency)

The Community Needs Agency is a small operation that’s been doing big things in Chillicothe for more than 40 years.

Funded entirely by donations and staffed by a part-time director and a volunteer board president, CNA delivers Christmas food baskets and toys, distributes spring cleaning supplies, hands out back-to-school backpacks full of school supplies, helps senior citizens pay for small home repairs, helps people take and pass their GED exam and maintains a small emergency food pantry.

“The Chillicothe area is so generous,” said CNA Board President Darlene Kumpf. “CNA gets no government funds or money from other social service agencies. We rely on local people and organizations to provide funds to allow CNA to distribute much-needed Christmas dinner baskets to local families in need, as well as meeting the needs of families throughout the year.”

The agency has set a goal this year to raise $47,000 during its annual fundraiser, which is in full swing and will continue through Christmas Eve. Schools, churches, local businesses, civic and veterans groups help raise funds and collect non-perishable food. Volunteer bell ringers will be collecting donations just inside the door at the Chillicothe Kroger store throughout the holiday season.

Much of the money raised goes toward the food baskets, but the fundraiser also supports the agency’s mission of providing temporary assistance to local families year round.

“While for some the economy is doing well, we see families walking in to the CNA office every week who, for one reason or another, are facing hard times,” Kumpf said. “It could be the loss of a job, an unexpected expense or maybe the illness of a family member. We all have those times, but for some families there is no financial cushion. That’s where Community Needs comes in.”

Help is available to residents who live within the IVC School District 321 boundaries. The agency has strict eligibility requirements to make sure people understand the aid is a one-time thing to avoid someone depending on help too often and to allow the agency to assist as many people as possible, Kumpf noted.

The non-profit organization was started in 1976 as a ministry of the Plymouth Congregational Church under the leadership of the Rev. Don Gibson and parishioners Lou Jones and Jim Hale, along with help from Harry and Marion Krull.

“It was started for the purpose of helping senior citizens primarily,” said Kumpf. “Through the course of time, it evolved into also helping younger families and single-parent families.”

The agency is located at 418 W. Wilmot in the old Plymouth Congregational Church, whose parishioners donated the building to the organization after disbanding in 2016 due to declining membership.

CNA closed briefly in 2014 when long-time director Nancy Blew retired but was reinvigorated by former Chillicothe Township supervisor Karen Moewe, Kumpf and a committee of community leaders. The agency is now run by Kumpf and part-time director Jessica Dorsey, along with a 13-member board and help from many volunteers.

“People really know us for the Christmas baskets, which started way back in the early days,” Kumpf said.

To sign up for a basket, residents must visit the CNA office from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Wednesday before Dec. 11. Those asking for help should bring income information and their children’s birth certificates or medical cards, but Kumpf said that information alone doesn’t always tell the whole story.

“Income isn’t the only qualifying factor,” she said. “Some people might make more than the federal poverty guidelines but might be in need of temporary assistance because of unfortunate things they have going on.”

About 125 baskets are given out annually and include a grocery store gift card and other items needed to prepare a nice Christmas dinner.

Local organizations that donate non-perishable food for the baskets include the IVC Leadership Class, which holds a canned food drive.

IVC junior Emily Mowbray said working with the CNA has changed her perspective of helping out the community. “The dedication and passion was really evident, and I am more aware of their contributions to the community,” she said.

Classmate Maggie Crose added, “It’s such a rewarding experience to help our community in a way that makes a significant difference.”

CNA also works with the Chillicothe Optimist Club, which holds a toy drive to supply age-appropriate toys in the baskets for families with children.

Fifty or more volunteers will gather at the IVC high school on distribution day, Dec. 21 this year, to put the baskets together. “It is a whirlwind, fast-paced morning but it is so joyful,” Kumpf said

In addition to food baskets, the pre-approved recipients can pick up blankets; new scarves, hats, mittens and socks; LED lightbulbs and surge-protector power strips that have been collected or donated by various community organizations and businesses.

New CNA board member Kay Vespa noted the important role CNA plays in the Chillicothe area.

“It’s helping people with basic needs—assistance for food, rent, utilities. I’m impressed with the way the agency assists clients,” she said. “People have to show they have a real need. All the money is managed carefully. People who give to CNA should know they’re getting a good return on their dollars.”

Kumpf, a Chillicothe native and retired bank vice president, added, “Every community should have an agency that supports local need. For us in Chillicothe, it’s CNA. I don’t know what people would do without us, because people need temporary assistance. And every $10, $25 or $100 donation is what keeps us afloat.”

Donations can be dropped off at the CNA office at 418 Wilmot St. during office hours 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Monday through Wednesday or mailed to Community Needs Agency, P.O. Box 103, Chillicothe IL 61523. For more information on volunteering, visit the CNA Facebook pa