Kati Tori, from Tiskirwa, donates thousands of items to the LaSalle Veterans Affairs Clinic food pantry every few weeks. She’s donating too much food, and the clinic’s storage room is overflowing.
Tori became involved in the clinic because her husband and brother were both disabled veterans. Her husband died in her February and her brother still attends the clinic. Tori said donating food to veterans is something she would still do if her husband were alive.
“Knowing that someone won’t go to bed hungry makes me feel better,” Tori said.
Britteny Moutray, a clinical dietician at the VA Clinic, said she knew Torri’s husband from when he came for care. increase.
“It’s really heartwarming and wonderful that his wife continues to donate food to his legacy and his honor,” Moutley said.
La Salle VA Clinic provides a variety of medical services to veterans in the area. The clinic also conducts home visits within a 70-mile radius of its location.
Moutray said one-quarter of veterans have some degree of food insecurity, such as being unable to go to the store or not being able to afford groceries. The clinic’s goal is to help with food insecurity by providing a food pantry for veterans who come for care.
“There’s a need for it, and we’re starting to see it,” Moutray said.
Moutray said a pantry is essential to putting food on the table because sometimes there are enough supplies for a balanced diet and some veterans have children at home.
The food pantry started small, with a few staff members bringing in enough food to fill two or three shelves in the bookshelf. Those shelves became tables, then he two, and now an entire infirmary room is filled with food.
Moutray said the news has spread to the community, donations are pouring in, and veterans are using the pantry. But Torri stands out as the clinic’s most influential food provider, according to Moutray.
“She loves doing it,” said Moutray. “She can convey the love and kindness she has through her food boxes that she donated.”
Torri said he didn’t start this for recognition, he started it because people were hungry. “Anything is useful, everything is necessary,” Tori said.