URBANA, III (WAND) - Silver Hearts is helping feed the Silverwood Neighborhood community, one apartment at a time.
 
It's been a year since the monthly food distribution began for Silver Hearts, an organization helping the underserved Silverwood neighborhood in Urbana. Silver Hearts Founder, Giovanna Dibenedetto, says it all started because food pantries changed during the pandemic. 
 
"People that depend on the food pantry suddenly had no access to them. Because the food pantry for safety went to a drive through model." Dibenedetto says. Silver Hearts bags enough food to feed over 200 people, with two meals and snacks in each care package. 
 
Drake Materre, a volunteer and member of the Natural Path Nutrition Health Organization, says he is helping distribute food for the people who need it. He says, "There's a group of individuals trying to feed the people, and so I'm trying to do as much as I can so I can be there for the people."

Silverwood is an Urbana neighborhood that Dibenedetto says is underserved, so she wanted to help in ways she can. Dibenedetto says she used to be a part of the Silverwood community, but now lives in another neighborhood. Still, she is heavily invested in community aid. 

Every month, Silver Hearts makes these care packages with an international twist. This month, the care packages included ingredients for a classic Irish dish for St. Paddy's day, Irish Colcannon. 

Silver Hearts brings the care packages straight to them. "Lets deliver food to every apartment, targeting who we knew needed the food, you know lets deliver, they don't have to sign up or ask, they don't have to any of that.” Dibenedetto says. 

 Volunteers say the best part is realizing how the Silverwood community is special and has much to offer that often goes unnoticed. "All we see is a lack of money or apartments that aren’t taken care of, when that is what we see, we fail to see the person...my neighbors are incredible people, and they have way more to offer than I do." Dibenedetto says.

If you would like to get involved with food distributions and other future events, go to their Facebook page.