CITGO Lemont Refinery Employees Organize Fall Food Drive

LEMONT, Ill., Oct. 18, 2013 /3BL Media /PRNewswire/ -- The CITGO Community Action Team (CCAT), the employee community volunteer team at the CITGO Lemont Refinery, continued its dedication to help those in need by organizing a Fall Food Drive benefiting six area food pantries.  From September 11-25, CCAT members placed boxes at designated collection sites throughout the refinery grounds and asked employees and contractors to donate non-perishable food items for local families in need. 

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After learning of the low levels of donations the local organizations were receiving, the CCAT members decided to organize a food drive.  The food drive should help stock local food pantries' shelves and alleviate shortages. 

"Without the generous and ongoing support from companies like CITGO, our pantry doors would be closed," said Gina Weidner at DuPage Township Pantry, one of the organizations that received donations from CITGO.  "The much-needed food donation from the CITGO Lemont Refinery employees will help us to stock our pantry shelves and continue to serve and provide hope to those in need.  We truly appreciate their dedication and service to our community and look forward to our continued partnership."

CITGO employees donated a total of 12 large storage containers full of non-perishable food items to the chosen charities.  The donations benefited Bethany Food Pantry, DuPage Township Pantry, Day Break Shelter, Fairmont Food Pantry, FISH Food Pantry and Romeoville Community Pantry.

The CITGO Lemont Refinery employs more than 800 local residents on a full-time and contract basis in support of the local economy.  In addition to producing high quality fuels for a large portion of the network of nearly 6,000 locally-owned CITGO stations across the country, Lemont refinery employees also make a major positive impact on the community.  Each year, more than 2,500 volunteer hours and thousands of dollars are given in support of community programs such as Muscular Dystrophy Association, United Way and a variety of environmental and preservation programs.  For more information on the CITGO Lemont Refinery, visit www.citgorefining.com/Lemont.

CITGO, which is based in Houston, is a refiner, transporter and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals and other industrial products.  The company is owned by PDV America, Inc., an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A., the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.  For more information, visitwww.CITGO.com