After watching Mary Sandner (who had the last name of Hasse when she was younger) grow up, essentially, in our backyard, I am proud to share that she recently was named the “2018 Outstanding Young Person of Illinois” by the Illinois Jaycees.
As you may know, Mary, who is the eldest daughter of Barrington residents, and our Lakeview neighbors, Sandy and Bob Hasse, founded the wonderful outreach program called “The Community Meal.”
The group provides a free meal that is available to everyone in the community, while Barrington area churches and retirement facilities help host the program.
For nine years, this nonprofit’s goal has been to “encourage and strengthen friendships, share kindness and inspire hope in the community by the simple act of sharing a meal together as neighbors.”
A Barrington High School graduate, Mary attended college at Illinois State University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in business management and organizational leadership. Besides leading The Community Meal, Mary works as a human resource manager at Chicago-based Power Construction.
The Illinois Jaycees’ upcoming ceremony will be held May 12 in Springfield.
“For over 50 years, the Illinois Jaycees has hosted The Outstanding Young Person (TOYP) of Illinois program, which recognizes individuals between the ages of 18 and 40 who excel in their chosen fields, endeavors and show a great commitment to their respective communities,” according to a news release from the Illinois Jaycees.
They also stated that “Mary is being recognized in the category of humanitarian and/or voluntary leadership.”
Last year alone, The Community Meal hosted 27 evening meals, serving close to 5,000 total meals to residents in Barrington, Cary, Palatine and Wauconda.
When asked how she felt about receiving this award, Mary said, “I thought about all the volunteers (nearly 400 annually) that make The Community Meal a successful ministry. … They consist of middle school students, high school students, community members, church members and our core team. I’m honored to be the TOYP award recipient but always give thanks to all who serve.”
What difference does the award makes in her drive to continue?
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“This award positively impacts our core team and myself,” she said. “It’s great to be recognized for our efforts in the communities we serve. We know in our hearts that God is leading this ministry and we will continue to serve meals to our neighbors in the future.”
The organization hopes to serve 6,000 meals this year, she said.
“In May 2019, we will celebrate 10 years of serving our neighbors and hope to have a big celebration at our founding church, Lutheran Church of the Atonement,” Mary said. “We want to expand into other communities like Carpentersville and Lake Zurich, and hope to build our core team to accommodate our growth.”
Congratulations to Mary and all involved with The Community Meal!
To learn more about the organization or how to volunteer or donate, please visit www.thecommunitymeal.org.
Kimberly Albrecht is a freelance columnist for Pioneer Press.