Local Partnership Helps Food Pantry Serve More Families in Need

WOOD RIVER - Two local organizations recently partnered to help people, and their teams encourage the community to come together to do more.

In July, King Air Conditioning & Heating installed a new Mitsubishi mini split system at the facility of Operation Blessing People That Care in Wood River. Kylie Wesley with King and Karen Wilson with Operation Blessing agreed that the collaboration will go a long way to keep Operation Blessing going so they can help more families in need.

“The need is so great,” Wilson said. “The resources are getting fewer, and so it makes it difficult for people.”

Operation Blessing mainly operates as a food pantry, though they also have clothes, books, toys and shoes for those in need. Wilson noted that the pantry has a section specially designed for unhoused community members who have no way to store or cook food. They try to remain cognizant of everyone’s needs.

To receive assistance from Operation Blessing, you must bring proof of residence to show you are an Illinois resident and that you meet the low-income threshold. The organization is open 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Thursday. On Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, alone, Wilson shared that they helped 62 families.

Earlier this year, King Air Conditioning & Heating was named Business of the Month through the RiverBend Growth Association. Operation Blessing hosted the corresponding member mingle event, and the team at King was “really impressed” by the nonprofit’s work, Wesley said.

King chooses a local nonprofit to support every month. When they learned that Operation Blessing needed a new system for their food pantry, it was a no-brainer for King to figure out a way to help.

King worked with its territory manager at Crescent Parts & Equipment to secure a system at a reasonable price, and then donated the installation labor. Wesley was pleased with the collaboration that made this possible.

50% Off Multi-Sport Simulator Rental & More at Tee Shots Unlimited

Shop Local

Tee Shots

Get This Deal →

“All the pieces fell into place,” she said.

Operation Blessing’s new system came at no cost to them, so the nonprofit can take the money they would have spent on this project and put it toward buying food and necessities instead.

Wilson emphasized that the need is growing. As grocery bills skyrocket, more people are reaching out to Operation Blessing for assistance. But the nonprofit is also experiencing the same squeeze at checkout.

Donations go a long way toward keeping Operation Blessing open. Wilson encourages anyone who has extra to give to consider reaching out to them. You can visit the official Operation Blessing People That Care Facebook page or their official website for more information about how to give or receive support.

“Food donations or financial donations are things that people can always help with,” Wilson added. “That all is donated from the community, and we really appreciate that.”

Wesley noted that King Air Conditioning & Heating will continue to support local nonprofits. She pointed out that people support a local small business when they work with King, which in turn allows the business to help other organizations in the community.

It’s important to King’s team to give back and help the community that helps them. They encourage other businesses to do the same, or reach out to groups like Operation Blessing to help.

“My brothers and I grew up in this community. My parents were raised in the community. We just wanted to give back,” Wesley added. “We’re trying to encourage other businesses to give back to the community, too.”

For more information about King Air Conditioning & Heating, visit their official website or their official Facebook page.

More like this:

RBGA Honors King Air Conditioning & Heating Sith May Small Business Excellence Award

May 21, 2026

Jigsaw Puzzle Competition in Godfrey to Benefit Operation Blessing

Jun 17, 2026

Glen-Ed Pantry Sets Record With 11,350 Meals Delivered to Local Kids This Summer 

2 days ago

Revity Raises $1,450 For City Temple Food Pantry In Granite City With Jeans For Generations Program

Jun 18, 2026

$500,000 Gift Moves Glen-Ed Pantry Closer to $3 Million Campaign Goal

Jul 2, 2026