Greg Gancarz
Editor
Rodney Davis, the representative for Illinois’s 13th congressional district, came to Parkland’s campus on May 2 to visit the Wesley Food Pantry.
Davis’ visit was in response to an invitation from Del Jacobs, a WFP board member, who made the suggestion while paying a visit to Rodney’s office in Washington.
“We were in Washington and we decided to stop by and say, ‘Why don’t you come look at the pantry?’ And then, what do you know, he called up and said, ‘I want to come visit the pantry,’” Jacobs said.
Numerous board members as well as several Parkland administrators were present to welcome Davis and his staff, including Marietta Turner, dean of students; Michael Trame, vice president of student services; and Joshua Clark, Student Life’s activities program manager. A number of people were also present who were there to utilize the pantry.
“I was very excited to hear that the congressman thought that this was a very important topic, because we are one of the first community colleges in the state to have a food pantry and it has been sustained for several years…No one should be hungry in our great state of Illinois,” said Turner, prior to the congressman’s arrival. “I think that the representative is going to continue to keep this topic in the forefront along with the National Community College Trustees Association, which has done research and which is also raising awareness across the nation. This is something that we need to address, to help our students and the community.”
Upon arrival at the Parkland pantry, located in M138, Davis made introductions with the board members, was given a tour and a rundown of the process. The pantry at Parkland is one of two Wesley Food Pantry locations in Champaign-Urbana, the other one being at the corner of Green St. and Goodwin Ave. in Urbana. The Parkland site sees anywhere from 35 to 50 families come through in a week.
Susan Haney, the board treasurer, said that she was really excited when she heard Davis would be visiting.
“I don’t think I’ve ever been to an event where a congressman was visiting one of my things that I was most interested in,” Haney said. “We are really fortunate to have one of our representatives come and visit and see the good work that we do, because it’s really important that we help those who are less fortunate than us. Sometimes, it’s just a once a year thing, where [the pantry patrons], have got an unexpected medical bill, or high heating bills, or an unexpected car repair, and they just need a little bit of help.”
Davis himself said that the pantry left a “great impression” on him and that it was great opportunity “to learn what happens right on the ground level.”
“It’s great for me to really see the energy that everybody here at the food pantry puts forth helping those who are coming, because people who are waiting in line to get food here, they don’t want to be here. But unfortunately, they don’t have another choice,” Davis said. “You can’t expect somebody who’s raising a family, who’s wondering where they’re going to get their next sack of groceries at to be able to have the time and the energy to devote to getting a better education to go get a job and get out of poverty.”
Davis has spent much of his time in Washington this year and said that it felt great to be back in the state. The congressman said that some of his work in the national capital revolved around addressing hunger and poverty issues, as well as how to implement safety nets for such social problems, while ensuring that such measures do not become “the only reliability that many families have.”
One of Davis’ proposed hopes was being able to invest a billion dollars in Department of Agriculture employment training programs and education programs.
“We want to make sure that we invest in those families who want to get out of poverty, but just haven’t had the chance, or the financial wherewithal, to be able to come to places like Parkland, to get the training they need to go get a job at Kraft or to go get a job at HL Precision here in Champaign…or even Caterpillar in Decatur,” Davis said. “Decatur just had double digit unemployment a few years ago, and now Caterpillar can’t hire enough people? That’s one of the best paying jobs [with] the best benefits. If you work at Caterpillar, you don’t need to wait in line here at the pantry. Let’s get people trained for those jobs, and get them in to them.”
Clyde Snyder, the president of the Wesley Food Pantry Board, said that he was “glad to have a congressman around.”
“Good to know that they’re out and about, talking to people like us,” Snyder said.
Davis, a Republican, is seeking reelection as representative for the 13th district in this year’s elections. He will face off against Democratic challenger Betsy Londrigan in November. Davis has held his post since 2012 and successfully ran for reelection in the last two election cycles, netting about 59 percent of the vote in both 2014 and 2016.
