Copyright Chicago Tribune
Cecelia (Cissy) Rallo didn’t have to think twice before deciding to provide some help to those affected by the government’s suspension of benefits through the national Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The owner of Page’s Restaurant in Hinsdale quickly took action by offering one gallon of milk and two loaves of bread to anyone who shows their Illinois Link Card, which is issued to residents eligible for SNAP benefits. Each household can come once a week to Page’s, 26 1/2 E Hinsdale Ave., with no questions asked, during the restaurant’s business hours, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily. “I was ultra aware that if SNAP benefits were to pause that would be a major problem for our children,” Rallo said. “Folks need to open their eyes. There are parents already starving themselves to make sure their child has a meal. “Picture this — a child sitting at a high school or middle school table without a meal,” she said. “Enough said.” Rallo said she decided to offer milk and bread because it’s what children need most in their young years. “It goes a long way,” she said. While Hinsdale is known as an affluent community, Rallo said that has nothing to do with her decision to offer help while SNAP benefits remain halted. “This is about feeding people,” she said. “Did you ever think that maybe your neighbor or neighbor’s neighbor might be hurting, or maybe the guy down the block or a mile west of you? In an affluent area, such as Hinsdale, or its surrounding communities, folks may need food. There are people who are barely making it and eventually will go hungry.” What matters, Rallo said, is that the milk and bread is available for those who need it. “In the end, I don’t care how much money you have, where you live, who you know; we are all the same,” she said. “We all need food, water and shelter. If I can help out with the food part, it’s what I’m here for. “I’m not here to force anybody to do anything. I’m just here to do what’s right. I believe that people should help people (because of) humanity. Love thy neighbor.” Chuck Fieldman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
