Pilsen Food Pantry staff raises money to pay for beloved co-worker's funeral
CHICAGO (CBS) – Leaders and workers at the Pilsen Food Pantry are devastated after co-worker's unexpected death.
Celso Ignacio began volunteering during the pandemic and soon became the face of the pantry. CBS 2's Shardaa Gray spoke with his co-workers who helped raise money for his funeral expenses.
"It's been a tough day," said Jesse Rodriguez, a co-worker of Ignacio's at the food pantry.
Things just aren't the same for workers at the Pilsen Food Pantry after their coworker, Ignacio, 50, died suddenly from gastrointestinal bleeding early Sunday morning.
"He had so many friends and I don't think he would have ever even understood the thousands of people that he helped," said Steve Wiley, the food pantry manager.
An immigrant from Mexico, Ignacio lived in Pilsen near the pantry. He began working there in 2020. The pantry moved to its existing space in early March and the longtime resident visited soon after to see how he could help.
"He was just walking by when he noticed that they were unloading things and he just offered to help and he just came back the next day because he realized it was a food pantry and he wanted to help the community," Rodriguez said.
Workers say Ignacio was the classic immigrant story, who was a hard worker and caring person and wanted to welcome everyone to the Pilsen food pantry.
"He helped countless people in Chicago, so not just in Pilsen, all over the city," Wiley said.
Workers at the food pantry had a goal of raising $10,000 for funeral costs. They created a PayPal account to raise money for Ignacio to help send his body back to Mexico City.
"We went to the funeral parlor and they gave us the cost," Wiley said. "We knew we couldn't cover it. We knew the family couldn't, so our director put it out there that we were taking donations."
They reached their goal in less than 36 hours, which included his return flight and embalming charges.
"We definitely wanted to honor his family's wishes, because he was part of the family," Rodriguez said.
The food pantry said Ignacio's body will be returned to Mexico on Friday. He will be buried in Mexico City.