Bar association leaders tour East St. Louis soup kitchen

Madison County was one of 16 courthouses to serve as a collection point for “Lawyers Feeding Illinois,” a food and fundraising drive, sponsored by the Illinois State Bar Association.

Collection points were held in Bloomington, Danville, Dixon, Edwardsville, Galesburg, Joliet, Kankakee, Mt. Vernon, Ottawa, Peoria, Quincy, Rockford, Rock Island, Urbana, Wheaton and Waukegan.

John Thies, president of the Illinois State Bar Association and leaders of the St. Clair County and Madison County bar associations, toured the Lessie Bates Davis Neighborhood House, in East St. Louis, Feb. 27. The tour was held in preparation for “Lawyers Feeding Illinois,” whose goal was to provide one million meals to help an estimated 1.9 million Illinoisans considered “food insecure.”

The food and fundraising drive began Feb. 18 and is scheduled to conclude today, March 1. The campaign was scheduled at a time other than the holidays to more effectively underscore the need for food donations and fundraising year-round.

Thies considers the campaign a significant focus of his year as ISBA president.

“These are difficult times financially for many Illinois families,” he said.