Latest / WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio / Talk Line 09-22-2026: Clara Harris shares Goodfellows of Lee County updates

Transcript

Talk Line 09-22-2026: Clara Harris shares Goodfellows of Lee County updates · WIXN AM 1460 - Shaw Local Radio

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Hey there, Sauk Valley. Welcome back to The Waking Crew
• 0:02
  Speaker 1: here on FM 95.1 and AM 1460 WIXN. It's 816
• 0:08
  Speaker 1: on your Tuesday morning. Hopefully it's going through smooth. Good, uh,
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: strong cup of coffee in hand. I've already had mine,
• 0:15
  Speaker 1: so I'll have to wait to decide if I'm going
• 0:18
  Speaker 1: to double down today. But, uh, here to more than
• 0:21
  Speaker 1: double down and provide us with all the information we
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: could about the good fellows of Lee County, Clara Harris
• 0:26
  Speaker 1: joining us live in the studio this morning. Clara, how
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: are you?
• 0:29
  Speaker 2: I am great, Brandon. Thank you so much for inviting us.
• 0:33
  Speaker 2: We want to make sure we get all the information
• 0:35
  Speaker 2: out there that people need.
• 0:37
  Speaker 1: Absolutely. And I mean, you guys are doing all the
• 0:40
  Speaker 1: fine work of helping folks out. The holiday season rolling in.
• 0:44
  Speaker 1: I mean, this year has just gone by in a flash.
• 0:48
  Speaker 1: Today is the first day of fall for those of
• 0:50
  Speaker 1: you who like to hang on. Summer's over. School's been
• 0:54
  Speaker 1: back in swing. Football season is upon us. The leaves
• 0:58
  Speaker 1: are going to drop. Before you know it, Christmas is
• 1:01
  Speaker 1: around the corner. My goodness.
• 1:03
  Speaker 2: And those kids at the high school are decorating for homecoming.
• 1:06
  Speaker 1: Yeah.
• 1:06
  Speaker 2: Yeah.
• 1:07
  Speaker 1: Yeah, it's quite a thing. And so you're trying to
• 1:11
  Speaker 1: do due diligence about reminding people to do theirs, and
• 1:14
  Speaker 1: that's about getting your applications done and getting them done
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: early for Goodfellas.
• 1:19
  Speaker 2: Yes, our first actual deadline is always October 31st. That's
• 1:24
  Speaker 2: put into play because Shop of the Cop, Shop of
• 1:28
  Speaker 2: the Sheriff, they have us give them any and all
• 1:32
  Speaker 2: families' names that apply up to that time so they
• 1:35
  Speaker 2: can go through them, along with other agencies that give
• 1:39
  Speaker 2: them some names, and they pick the families they want
• 1:43
  Speaker 2: to take that have applied with us. And so they
• 1:46
  Speaker 2: want those as soon as November rolls in because they
• 1:49
  Speaker 2: have to know how much money they need to make
• 1:52
  Speaker 2: sure that happens because they always do a great job, Brandon.
• 1:57
  Speaker 2: But yes, our first actual deadline is October 31st. By
• 2:02
  Speaker 2: getting it in by that time, you are guaranteed either
• 2:06
  Speaker 2: a food voucher or food from IDOT. IDOT has graciously
• 2:10
  Speaker 2: for almost 30 years taken a number of families in
• 2:14
  Speaker 2: and provided quite a bit for them. I've heard from people,
• 2:17
  Speaker 2: it's like three to four huge boxes of stuff. So
• 2:21
  Speaker 2: they definitely want to make sure they get it in
• 2:23
  Speaker 2: for that reason. And then if they want their kids
• 2:26
  Speaker 2: to be in the running for Shop of the Copper Sheriff,
• 2:29
  Speaker 2: they need to have it in for that because the
• 2:31
  Speaker 2: cutoff is that time. I've got to give them names
• 2:34
  Speaker 2: by name. November 1st or the Monday right after the 31st.
• 2:38
  Speaker 2: So please make sure you get them filled out. I
• 2:41
  Speaker 2: have already received 14, which is fine. But a lot
• 2:46
  Speaker 2: of them out of those 14, 10 of them didn't
• 2:48
  Speaker 2: have all their paperwork. When you read the application, it
• 2:52
  Speaker 2: says you have to have any and all income. So
• 2:57
  Speaker 2: food stamps count in there, people. They think they don't.
• 3:00
  Speaker 2: But if you didn't have them, you'd have to have
• 3:02
  Speaker 2: cash to buy your food. So, yes, food stamps have
• 3:05
  Speaker 2: to be in there and any kind of income. If
• 3:08
  Speaker 2: you have a paycheck, 30 days' worth of a paycheck.
• 3:12
  Speaker 2: If you're on disability or you're receiving Social Security, because
• 3:15
  Speaker 2: a lot of our clients are on that, we need
• 3:18
  Speaker 2: a statement providing the information of how much you receive.
• 3:24
  Speaker 2: If you don't have that, because a lot of people,
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  Speaker 2: I think some people told me they shred them because
• 3:30
  Speaker 2: they don't want any information out there to be stolen. Okay. Well,
• 3:33
  Speaker 2: you can send us a copy of your bank statement
• 3:38
  Speaker 2: showing and highlighting or circling that going into your account.
• 3:43
  Speaker 2: But if you provide that, I want you to make
• 3:46
  Speaker 2: sure you black out your account number at the top.
• 3:49
  Speaker 2: I don't want that in my hands. If I receive
• 3:52
  Speaker 2: it that way, I usually let them know that I've
• 3:55
  Speaker 2: blacked it out and do that for them. But please
• 3:59
  Speaker 2: black it out if that's the way it's coming in.
• 4:02
  Speaker 2: Child support does count if you have that coming in,
• 4:05
  Speaker 2: or disability for a child or an adult who may
• 4:08
  Speaker 2: be living with you that you have to take care of.
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  Speaker 2: So there's lots of avenues to look at. And if
• 4:15
  Speaker 2: you're in question about it, just call me, okay? 815-973-5135.
• 4:22
  Speaker 2: We have gone through the 14 that we have. We've
• 4:25
  Speaker 2: made a call out to the ones that needed paperwork,
• 4:28
  Speaker 2: and it's coming in. They're making sure. letting everybody know.
• 4:32
  Speaker 2: In Dixon right now, it went out through the school system,
• 4:36
  Speaker 2: the applications. They are at the public library on both levels,
• 4:41
  Speaker 2: kiddos and the adult section. And then the Lee County
• 4:45
  Speaker 2: Council on Aging, on the corner there is Second and Galena.
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  Speaker 2: They have them. Just walk in there and say, can
• 4:51
  Speaker 2: I get an application for Goodfellas? They'll give it to you.
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  Speaker 2: But We also put a little thing with applications on
• 5:00
  Speaker 2: the front of our building. So if you're down in
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  Speaker 2: our area, just stop. Grab one out of there. Get
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  Speaker 2: it filled out and you don't have to mail it
• 5:07
  Speaker 2: because we've got a lockbox. So save yourself a stamp,
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  Speaker 2: but please make sure it's in an envelope. I don't
• 5:13
  Speaker 2: want all your paperwork scattered in there because it's just
• 5:17
  Speaker 2: easier if it's all together. So please do that and
• 5:21
  Speaker 2: make sure you get them in. We're waiting. We're waiting.
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  Speaker 2: We have been blessed by so much already. After the
• 5:31
  Speaker 2: applications come in, Brandon, what we normally do is put
• 5:34
  Speaker 2: tags out at various locations and we put barrels out.
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  Speaker 2: That all happened in November. And I'm sure you'll probably
• 5:41
  Speaker 2: invite me back maybe in October to talk about that.
• 5:44
  Speaker 2: But we are setting up our building as we speak.
• 5:50
  Speaker 2: And because all of the gently used donations are filling
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: us up, We asked people to stop giving us stuff
• 5:59
  Speaker 2: last Friday, only because we don't have any more room
• 6:03
  Speaker 2: for the gently used. But we do for new. And
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  Speaker 2: I also had Jennifer Lang, our great gal Jennifer, she
• 6:12
  Speaker 2: put it on there. If you have stuff, please take
• 6:15
  Speaker 2: it to Lydic and Dixon. They're open Tuesdays and Thursdays
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  Speaker 2: from 7.30 to noon to receive. And there's a place
• 6:24
  Speaker 2: called The Caring Place in Sterling. And they will receive
• 6:28
  Speaker 2: it Monday through Wednesday. Or you could call their number
• 6:32
  Speaker 2: and check and see. They may receive it Thursday and
• 6:35
  Speaker 2: Friday also. So please take your stuff there. And if
• 6:38
  Speaker 2: you want to hold on to it to April, you're
• 6:41
  Speaker 2: more than welcome and we'll receive it then. But thank
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  Speaker 2: you all for making sure that we have been blessed.
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  Speaker 2: I'm always amazed, Brandon, with what we receive. We just
• 6:55
  Speaker 2: really are truly blessed.
• 6:57
  Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean, that's a fantastic position to be in,
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  Speaker 1: to no longer have the room to take it because
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  Speaker 1: the community, as you said, has blessed you so much.
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  Speaker 1: And then for you to pass that on to other
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  Speaker 1: organizations and say, hey, there's these other great places that
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  Speaker 1: are also looking for these resources. I can't right now.
• 7:14
  Speaker 1: Come see me back later with those. But until then,
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  Speaker 1: take your stuff over there. That's great.
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  Speaker 2: Well, thank you. Yes. And I take pride, not only myself,
• 7:23
  Speaker 2: but our board. I represent them. The fact that when
• 7:26
  Speaker 2: we receive stuff from Walmarts, we share it with a
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  Speaker 2: lot of organizations. So I call them up and say, hey,
• 7:35
  Speaker 2: this is what I have. Do you want some? And
• 7:39
  Speaker 2: Shining Star is one that we truly love to help.
• 7:43
  Speaker 2: All of them we love to help, but they always
• 7:46
  Speaker 2: have those kiddos who've already been through something traumatic. If
• 7:50
  Speaker 2: we can share something to brighten that day up for
• 7:53
  Speaker 2: them through the counselors, we do that. Birthday bags through
• 7:57
  Speaker 2: the food pantry. They always need stuff. We're giving that
• 8:00
  Speaker 2: to them. We do Samaritan's Purse. There are a lot
• 8:03
  Speaker 2: of organizations. When I get done here with you, Brandon, today,
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  Speaker 2: I've been blessed with some furniture. I'm going to meet
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  Speaker 2: a couple gentlemen that have graduated out of Voices of
• 8:14
  Speaker 2: Recovery and out of the Sinissippi Men's Recovery. And they
• 8:20
  Speaker 2: are going to receive dressers, beds, stuff that they need
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  Speaker 2: to set up their new households. I love that. We're
• 8:28
  Speaker 2: the avenue.
• 8:29
  Speaker 1: Yeah, that's great. That's going to brighten their day. And
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  Speaker 1: I can already see the smile on your face just
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  Speaker 1: thinking about it. which is why I love having someone
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  Speaker 1: like you at the helm of this kind of work,
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  Speaker 1: because I see the kind of joy it brings out
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  Speaker 1: in you when you're doing it.
• 8:41
  Speaker 2: Well, thank you. Thank you. Funny you say that. We
• 8:45
  Speaker 2: had a group from BorgWarner come. Sorry, I said the
• 8:49
  Speaker 2: wrong name. Rainers. BorgWarner is a good friend of ours,
• 8:52
  Speaker 2: and they helped us do something else. But Rainers came.
• 8:56
  Speaker 2: There were five of them. They came, they cleaned, they conquered.
• 9:01
  Speaker 2: And believe it or not, I'm going to shout out
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  Speaker 2: to Tara. She even cleaned the toilets, which is a
• 9:09
  Speaker 2: job I said, you guys don't have to do if
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  Speaker 2: you don't want to. She goes, it doesn't hurt me.
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  Speaker 2: So they came, and we talked about what we do
• 9:17
  Speaker 2: because I always like to let the group coming in
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  Speaker 2: know what we do, and I take them around and
• 9:21
  Speaker 2: show them everything. And the young man, Dusty, he said
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  Speaker 2: the same thing you just said, that he could tell
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  Speaker 2: that our organization had a heart for what we do.
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  Speaker 2: We want to make sure we give that hands up
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  Speaker 2: to those families in need. And if you're a single person,
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  Speaker 2: you too. Just make sure those applications come in, people.
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  Speaker 2: I need applications. I'm training other people to read them.
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  Speaker 2: So they need something to learn from.
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  Speaker 1: And filled out completely and with all paperwork so they
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  Speaker 1: don't have to come chase you down for it.
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  Speaker 2: Correct. With that being said... I want people to know
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  Speaker 2: and the grandparents that have applied with us in the
• 10:04
  Speaker 2: past know it already if you are a grandparent go
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  Speaker 2: ahead and fill out the top couple lines if it's
• 10:11
  Speaker 2: you and this significant other and and fill that out
• 10:14
  Speaker 2: for you guys, but then skip a line and go
• 10:17
  Speaker 2: down and on the outer part, put grandchildren. And you
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  Speaker 2: can list them. I need full names, I need their ages,
• 10:25
  Speaker 2: and I need the town they live in. They don't
• 10:27
  Speaker 2: have to live in Lee County. Because grandparents, come on,
• 10:31
  Speaker 2: kids move. But we will let them have gifts. They
• 10:35
  Speaker 2: get a gift for each child from the B section,
• 10:38
  Speaker 2: which nothing to sneeze at. They get books and they
• 10:42
  Speaker 2: get hats and gloves. So they're going to get three
• 10:45
  Speaker 2: simple gifts. But yet, if you don't have money to
• 10:48
  Speaker 2: buy them, the grandparents have been very grateful over the
• 10:52
  Speaker 2: number of years we've initiated doing that. So make sure
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  Speaker 2: you fill that part out, too. And if you have
• 10:58
  Speaker 2: a caretaker, because a lot of our clients have people
• 11:01
  Speaker 2: that go in and assist them, put down the day
• 11:05
  Speaker 2: that they're there and the hours, please. I'm going to
• 11:07
  Speaker 2: try and make sure you come during that time so
• 11:11
  Speaker 2: they can drive you there. But if you don't have
• 11:14
  Speaker 2: a caretaker and you don't have a way to get
• 11:16
  Speaker 2: to us, make sure you put there, I need a ride,
• 11:19
  Speaker 2: because we set that up also, so that you have
• 11:21
  Speaker 2: a ride to and from and you receive. We want
• 11:24
  Speaker 2: to make sure it happens.
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  Speaker 1: That's amazing. And, you know, speaking of amazing and feeling
• 11:29
  Speaker 1: good and doing work, you also have opportunities for others
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  Speaker 1: to feel the joy that you do with helping by
• 11:35
  Speaker 1: volunteering with Goodfellas.
• 11:37
  Speaker 2: Yes. During the year, if you want to volunteer and
• 11:41
  Speaker 2: come and help us because we get stuff weekly, call
• 11:45
  Speaker 2: me because I'll let you know if we have donations
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  Speaker 2: coming in. That's during the year.
• 11:50
  Speaker 1: Okay.
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  Speaker 2: But during the Christmas time, a lot of businesses or
• 11:56
  Speaker 2: organizations and stuff like that, or people that have done
• 11:59
  Speaker 2: it before, they're contacting me. They're giving me the days
• 12:02
  Speaker 2: they can work and the times. But I'll have places
• 12:06
  Speaker 2: I need to have some people fill in. So if
• 12:09
  Speaker 2: you want to volunteer during Christmas time, please do not
• 12:12
  Speaker 2: volunteer if you are receiving. I'm sorry, but we just
• 12:16
  Speaker 2: don't do that. We want to make sure everyone coming
• 12:19
  Speaker 2: through that door knows that they don't have to worry
• 12:23
  Speaker 2: about being embarrassed because some people are. Don't be embarrassed.
• 12:28
  Speaker 2: Our motto is come with joy in your heart. You're
• 12:31
  Speaker 2: going to be received by us. We're going to make
• 12:33
  Speaker 2: sure you get through it. And you can volunteer, okay?
• 12:39
  Speaker 2: Not receiving, though. So make sure you call. The number
• 12:44
  Speaker 2: is on our sign. And, you know, I'd love for
• 12:48
  Speaker 2: you to come. I always tell people, give me two
• 12:50
  Speaker 2: hours because two hours you're going to be able to
• 12:52
  Speaker 2: get a family through. And then if you're done with
• 12:56
  Speaker 2: your client, You can go downstairs and partake of some
• 12:59
  Speaker 2: goodies that'll be down there. Believe me, there's always goodies,
• 13:02
  Speaker 2: you guys. Everybody tries to outdo each other with their
• 13:06
  Speaker 2: special Christmas cookies or rolls or whatever.
• 13:09
  Speaker 1: I love that kind of a competition.
• 13:11
  Speaker 2: I know, I know. And if you do volunteer, we
• 13:15
  Speaker 2: have received a couple Thrivent grants already from faithful people
• 13:20
  Speaker 2: that give it to us. We are going to have
• 13:22
  Speaker 2: some awesome food that will be offered to people. Usually
• 13:28
  Speaker 2: 1130 till about 1. So you don't have to go
• 13:32
  Speaker 2: away hungry, okay? And if you come and your shift starts,
• 13:36
  Speaker 2: it'll be there. So you can go down and have
• 13:39
  Speaker 2: some fellowship. On a sad note, Brandon, I do want
• 13:43
  Speaker 2: to throw out something. Our faithful board member, Larry Weinrich,
• 13:50
  Speaker 2: his family is right now in shock. And we are too.
• 13:53
  Speaker 2: We're kind of numb over that. He found out he
• 13:56
  Speaker 2: had cancer, and he died very quickly. I'm grateful to
• 14:01
  Speaker 2: God that he managed to get through it and not
• 14:05
  Speaker 2: suffer long, but boy, is he going to be missed.
• 14:08
  Speaker 2: I mean, he was there way before we bought the building,
• 14:12
  Speaker 2: but after we got it, he initiated helping get new
• 14:15
  Speaker 2: doors on the building. He initiated doing a lot of
• 14:19
  Speaker 2: things for getting it in fine tune, is what we
• 14:23
  Speaker 2: called it. maintenance wise and he always had a heart
• 14:27
  Speaker 2: for giving and he if you volunteered with us he
• 14:31
  Speaker 2: was our hangar man um when it got kind of
• 14:35
  Speaker 2: rough for him to do all that walking and taking
• 14:37
  Speaker 2: clients through and we had people want him they'd ask
• 14:40
  Speaker 2: can i have that gentleman who's so kind um When
• 14:43
  Speaker 2: he knew that wasn't something he could do anymore, he says, ah,
• 14:47
  Speaker 2: what can I do? You're going to, when they bring
• 14:50
  Speaker 2: the hangers down, Larry, you're going to separate them and
• 14:52
  Speaker 2: get them all ready so we can refill them and
• 14:55
  Speaker 2: get new product out there. So he would entertain the troops.
• 14:59
  Speaker 2: He would talk about us, give everybody information. So Larry,
• 15:04
  Speaker 2: we love you. We're so sad you're gone from here,
• 15:07
  Speaker 2: but grateful that you are where you are. Yeah.
• 15:11
  Speaker 1: And continuing to live in the hearts of everybody he's touched.
• 15:14
  Speaker 2: Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. I know we're going to have
• 15:17
  Speaker 2: people ask where he is. So just know he was
• 15:21
  Speaker 2: very well loved and received by all.
• 15:25
  Speaker 1: Well, a beautiful tribute to a beautiful individual. And my
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: heart goes with you all in celebrating his life and
• 15:33
  Speaker 1: legacy there. So I love that. We are about out
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: of time, Claire. Anything else you wanted to share this morning?
• 15:38
  Speaker 2: No, just thank you to everyone that has donated. If
• 15:42
  Speaker 2: you want to hold on to them until April, remember that. Otherwise,
• 15:45
  Speaker 2: please make sure you gift them to the other two.
• 15:48
  Speaker 2: Keep in mind, if you take them to Light It,
• 15:50
  Speaker 2: because some people worry about that, they make sure 30-some
• 15:55
  Speaker 2: non-for-profit organizations, if we have a need and we present
• 15:59
  Speaker 2: it to them, more than likely we're going to receive it.
• 16:03
  Speaker 2: So in our case, it's always food vouchers. We may
• 16:06
  Speaker 2: fall short on what we have and we can put
• 16:08
  Speaker 2: a request in. I've never been told no. So please
• 16:12
  Speaker 2: make sure you help them out that way because whatever
• 16:15
  Speaker 2: they sell helps them provide those things for organizations. And
• 16:20
  Speaker 2: the Caring Place, they're awesome too. So go there if
• 16:24
  Speaker 2: you need something. They'll make sure that you receive it
• 16:26
  Speaker 2: if they have it.
• 16:28
  Speaker 1: Absolutely. And if anybody has any questions or wants any
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: more information on anything we've talked about or anything to
• 16:34
  Speaker 1: do with Goodfellas Elite County, what's the best way to
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: do it?
• 16:36
  Speaker 2: You can call me 815-973-5135. No question. One lady goes,
• 16:43
  Speaker 2: I know this is going to sound dumb. There is
• 16:45
  Speaker 2: never a dumb question. My mother always said, if you
• 16:48
  Speaker 2: seek to learn something, You always ask questions. Yes. So
• 16:53
  Speaker 2: there's never a silly question or a dumb question. Just
• 16:57
  Speaker 2: reach out. We want to make sure your needs are
• 17:00
  Speaker 2: met if we can do it. If not, we always
• 17:03
  Speaker 2: send them to 211 or an agency that we know
• 17:07
  Speaker 2: of that can meet the need now.
• 17:10
  Speaker 1: There you go. Give them a call. Claire, thank you
• 17:11
  Speaker 1: so much for coming on the show, sharing all this information.
• 17:14
  Speaker 1: Look forward to having you back with updates. And for
• 17:17
  Speaker 1: all the fine work you and everyone over at Goodfellas does,
• 17:20
  Speaker 1: we thank you.
• 17:20
  Speaker 2: Thank you. Thank you for always having us.