Huckleberry's Snack Shack

06/06/2026

Karen and I had a fantastic day yesterday continuing our National Donut Day tradition! 🍩

Loaded up with 22 dozen donuts, we spent a few hours traveling throughout the community delivering sweet treats and a little appreciation to some wonderful people and organizations.

Our stops included Manteno Quick L**e, South Creek Animal Hospital, Razzle Dazzle Doggie Bow-tique, Sunrise Center Animal Rescue, Kankakee County Animal Control (where we unexpectedly ran into Lindsay, Journee the perfectly imperfect kitten, so of course she got a donut too!), Bradley Police Department, All Automotive Bradley, and Dennis at Moneyvibez Dab, the new barber who recently moved into the space above our pet pantry. We also visited Bradley Animal Hospital, Fun Hub Bar, Aroma Park Fire Department, the City of Kankakee Police and Fire Departments, the Kankakee County Sheriff's Department, and our final stop, the Manhattan/Peotone Fire Department, with a special thank you for getting my dad to the ER so quickly when he needed help.

Along the way, we met a lone Kankakee County Sheriff's deputy and offered him a dozen donuts. He only took one. 🍩

This tradition began in 2020, during a time when communities were navigating the challenges of COVID while many cities across the country were hosting peaceful protests and, in some cases, experiencing unrest and riots. It felt like everyone could use a little more kindness.

By the end of the day, we had only two donuts left. Karen made sure those found a good home with her husband and dad.

A special thank you to those who donated and helped make this tradition possible.

We hope everyone who received donuts enjoyed every bite and felt the appreciation that came along with it. 💚

06/06/2026

Food pantry today;

06/05/2026

🍩 Happy National Donut Day 🍩

We're continuing a tradition that started back in 2020. This afternoon, Karen and I will be out delivering 264 donuts (22 dozen!) to local businesses and organizations throughout Aroma Park, Bradley, and Kankakee.

We've got our list ready, and we're looking forward to thanking some of the people who have gone a little above and beyond for others over the last few months.

Keep an eye out. We may be stopping by your workplace today! 🍩

06/05/2026

Thank you for the love, support and thoughtful messages/comments. 💚

06/04/2026

When we walked into the ICU, Mom asked Dad, "How are you feeling?"

Without missing a beat, he replied, "Awake."

Mom looked confused and asked, "You were awake during surgery?"

With a chuckle, he answered, "No... awake as in alive."

What would have been very early Wednesday morning, Dad suffered a mild heart attack. At first, both Mom and Dad thought it might be a muscle strain or some really stubborn indigestion, but Dad trusted his instincts and decided calling 911 was the right thing to do.

By the time I got Mom and made it to the ER, Dad was already in surgery.

The day felt incredibly long and was filled with a lot of worry, but thankfully, the news was encouraging. Both the surgeon and attending physicians were very optimistic. One doctor even said, "If you're going to have a heart attack, this is the best-case scenario." They were impressed by how healthy, active, and strong Dad is for being 74 years young.

He's now home and feeling really good.

For the next few weeks, Dad has been told he can continue with normal day-to-day activities, but he needs to avoid anything too strenuous until he follows up with his cardiologist.

Because of that, some of our plans over the next few weeks may look a little different. We may need to pivot here and there, adjust schedules, or you may see me putting out a call for a few extra helping hands. If that happens, now you'll know why.

Dad does so much for our organization. While I'm at work, he's the one moving, lifting, hauling, organizing, fixing, delivering, and somehow accomplishing ten things before breakfast. Much of what happens behind the scenes happens because of him.

The good news is that this is only temporary. In time, he'll be back to doing all the things he loves. Right now, though, our job is to make sure he rests and recovers.

And Dad, if you're reading this, I know you'll follow the doctor's orders. I just know you're going to be counting down the days until you're allowed to get back to moving and shaking. We'll just slow things down a little.

I am not ready to do life without my favorite person. ❤️

06/02/2026

The article is out (Wednesday, May 27th feature).

Yesterday, while I was at work, one of my patients called me at the office. The first thing she said was, "I just read the most beautiful article written about you. I feel so lucky to know you."

I still haven't gotten my hands on a physical copy yet, but thankfully several people have already saved copies for me. I can't wait to sit down and read it for myself, and I know my grandma in Arizona is going to treasure every word when I send one her way.

Thank you to Cathy and Tiffany, and to Lifestyles of Kankakee County for choosing to feature Huckleberry's Snack Shack this month. We've received so many kind comments about both the article and the photos.

When we started this journey, all we wanted to do was celebrate Huckleberry and the impact he had on so many people through something positive. The support we've received from this community has been more than we ever expected, and we feel fortunate to be part of it.

We feel incredibly loved today. 💚

To read the article, click the link and scroll to page 22-23.

https://issuu.com/shawmedia/docs/kdj_-_lifestyles_magazine_may_june_2026

06/01/2026

Dad and I have been slowly working our way through cleaning out the garage and organizing the remaining items we received after the tornado relief efforts.

Today during pantry hours, we'll be sharing some of those donations with our community! We have cases of water and beverage bags available. The beverage bags are filled with a fun assortment of canned and bottled drinks. These items were generously donated to Rescue Pack and then provided to us to help local families affected by the tornado.

We also have leftover cookies from Saturday's event, so everyone who stops by today will get a delicious sweet treat.

A quick pantry update: We are currently out of wet cat food and will only be providing bagged dry cat food at this time.

06/01/2026

Our article was published in the Kankakee Daily Journal, Lifestyles of Kankakee.

If anyone is out and about today, can you see if you can grab a few copies for me? Please and thank you.

I cannot find the article online.

Send a message to learn more

06/01/2026

June hours;

05/31/2026

What an incredible day we had yesterday at Whitmore Ace in Manteno! 🌭🍪☀️

The weather was perfect, the hot dogs were delicious, the flow of people was steady, and the support from our community was amazing. Thanks to your generosity, we received over $850 in monetary donations yesterday. That is absolutely incredible and will go a long way in helping us continue our work throughout the community.

It was wonderful to see support from my co-workers, rescue friends, and so many familiar and new faces from our local community. Every person who stopped by, purchased a meal, made a donation, shared a kind word, or simply took the time to learn about what we do helped make the day a success.

A huge thank you to our girls, Hillary, Karen, and Sherri, for serving up the best combo meals around all afternoon. We were also so happy to have Linda join us as a volunteer. We couldn't do these events without amazing people willing to give their time.

And a special thank you to Matt and the entire Whitmore Ace team for hosting us. Their kindness, support, and helpful staff made the day run smoothly from start to finish.

We are grateful to everyone who showed up and supported us yesterday. It was a terrific day. 💚