Clarence Weaver, founder and owner of C&W Market and Ice Cream Parlor with his wife, Wendy, said the number keeps rising for the grocery bags they and a host of volunteers organize, distribute, wrap and donate. every Saturday morning.
“We went from 25 to 65 to 122 to 165 to 220. And now we’re at 170,” Clarence Weaver said.
The Weavers are also the founders of the C&W Foundation, which received a $20,000 grant from the Rotary Club of Evanston. The Rotary Club of Evanston has named “strengthening food security” as its flagship project.
The grant helped the weavers organize their basement into a pantry, the symbolic dedication of which took place on Saturday, June 4 at 12:30 p.m. Bobby Brown neighborhood and three students from the northwest who helped connect the Rotary chapter to the C&W Foundation: Tanya Bhargava, Anna Wittcoff and Sydney Goldstein.
The Weavers are local staples in their northwest corner of Dodge and Church, and when word got out, volunteers started pouring in to help.
“I don’t think you can live here and feel comfortable without worrying about it,” Burns said.
Biss said of the weavers, “It’s not enough for you to be leading community leaders and owners of this successful, iconic and valuable business. [but also to be] give back in so many ways. And you chose to do it so quickly and so effectively in this time that we needed so much. I just want to say that we owe you a great debt.
Clarence Weaver said that eight years ago he and Wendy Weaver walked around the corner and she saw the ‘for rent’ sign.
“I saw the light bulb go out,” he said.
He honored his wife and said her main role was “to execute her vision”.
They both said they felt blessed and honored to be able to make a difference in people’s lives.
“We are honored to represent the entire community with this battle,” said Clarence Weaver.
Wendy Weaver agreed.
“We couldn’t have any of this without your help and we just thank you,” she told the crowd. “Thanks.”
