Mary Jo Credi’s first two words were, “Thank you.” When the Illinois Valley Food Pantry appealed for help during the government shutdown, local donors answered.

Credi, executive director of the pantry in Peru, said donations roared in and one standout donation will feed the hungry at Thanksgiving. Peru Federal Savings Bank donated 100 turkeys at a time when regional food banks don’t have much meat – indeed, not much of anything – to give to local food pantries.

But then Credi took a deep breath on Monday and renewed her appeal for food and cash.

“It’s just amazing: When we send out that cry for help, everybody digs deep to help us,” Credi said. “But we still have a long road ahead of us because we’re jumping into Christmas and we’re still helping people with normal food assistance.”

Local food pantries sounded the alarm recently when the government shutdown squeezed regional food banks and, for a time, threw the SNAP program into disarray. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program helps about one in eight Americans buy groceries and the funding shortfall sent families scrambling to food pantries for help.

Today, the shutdown is over and SNAP funding, while delayed, is slowly being distributed; but the problems bedeviling local food pantries aren’t over. Not by a sight.

The shutdown stretched pantries’ resources and tapped their reserves – “It’s going to take months for us to recuperate from this situation,” Credi said – and the agreement that ended the shutdown is scheduled to lapse at the end of January. Food pantries could be back to square one by the Super Bowl.

Meanwhile, Thanksgiving meals may be ready for distribution, but the demand for Christmas assistance is already mounting.

Jan Martin, executive director of the Hall Township Food Pantry in Spring Valley, said she was moved by all the longtime supporters and first-time donors – “I’ve heard from people I’ve never heard from before” – but she has a personal record 487 households to feed this holiday season.

“I still need help with Thanksgiving,” Martin said. “We still have challenges. Our lines have been a lot longer. I’ve never had this many people sign up for help.

“Somehow, we have to figure this out.”

Martin said she’s confident donors will come through in the next few months and has asked for help to keep her clients fed through the holidays. She’s asking donors for Christmas cookies and coffee for next month’s distribution.

Volunteers in Streator will be able to feed hungry families this Thanksgiving, but recipients might not enjoy a traditional holiday feast. Tony Bitto, a board member of the Streatorland Community Food Pantry, said the pantry still needs turkeys along with traditional holiday side dishes such as instant mashed potatoes and stuffing.

Streator’s bigger problem is a 40% increase in families seeking food assistance over last year. While a Saturday food drive yielded a welcome 700 pounds, Streator needs both direct food donations and monetary donations to get through the holidays.

“Cash is king: We can use the cash to fill our immediate needs,” Bitto said, “but any non-perishable food item would be awesome.”

Community Food Basket in Ottawa will have its Thanksgiving food drive Saturday and executive director Marissa Vicich is grateful for the wide support that made it possible for them to provide 700 meal boxes for needy families.

As for Christmas, Vicich hopes for a strong turnout for Freezin’ for a Reason, the fundraiser that begins the first week of December. She hopes donors will be generous because Ottawa, too, felt a crush of new supplicants during the government shutdown.

“For sure the shutdown hurt,” Vicich said, recalling when 100 families showed up in a single day. “We’ve slowed down a little bit – we’re not quite as crushed – but our numbers are still up.”

The numbers are high at the Mendota Area Christian Food Pantry, too.

Tracy Cooper, executive director, has 180 holiday meal kits ready for Thanksgiving and she hopes it will be sufficient, as new signups keep coming.

“I had 100 people in two days and that’s normally what I have in half a month,” she said. “It has slowed down a little, but I’m still seeing new clients and we’re hurting for food. I just put in an order for food and it’s four times higher than what I normally buy.”

As for Christmas, Cooper wants to get through Turkey Day before she contemplates how to address Yuletide. For now, she’s simply encouraging donors to be as generous in December as they’ve been in November.

“The community has been wonderful,” Cooper said. “Everyone has really stepped up, but we need them to continue that.”