EXCHANGE: Veteran calls his work at food pantry necessary

HOFFMAN ESTATES, Ill. (AP) — Since his retirement from the printing industry three years ago, Vietnam-era Army Veteran Dan Callender of Hoffman Estates has been serving those most in need in his community by regularly volunteering at the Schaumburg Township Food Pantry.

But even while his career was in full swing, Callender made the time to serve as chairman of the Hoffman Estates Fourth of July Festival for 24 years, when it was still held on the grounds of village hall.

The suggestion to do so back in 1988 came from then-Village Trustee Sue Kenley-Rupnow. He took to it immediately and was always encouraged by its visible impact on the community.

"It was a great group of people that I worked with," Callender said. "I thought, 'Holy moly, did we put this together?' You would stand there and look out at the sea of people and think, 'This is what community is all about. This is the bottom line.' I thought we did a pretty good job at it, and they're still doing a pretty job at it."

The event's expansion into the Northwest Fourth-Fest outside the Sears Centre Arena in 2012 occurred just when Callender decided the time had come for him to hand off the baton. But he assisted with the transition for the first two years and believes his experience helped in deciding how to organize the festival grounds.

Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod said the village was fortunate to have Callender and many like him who stayed with the Fourth of July Festival for a long time.

Callender's volunteerism today is centered on a more specific part of the community, but one he feels is equally deserving of his attention.

For three hours every Tuesday morning, he sorts new donations to the Schaumburg Township District Food Pantry and ensures that nothing expired makes it way into distribution.

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