A food bank will be held Saturday in honor of a former Eastern professor and union leader who died two months ago.

The event is organized by Eastern’s chapter of The University Professionals of Illinois, which the late Richard Dulka co-founded.

Mr. Dulka, who was a Spanish professor at Eastern, co-founded the Eastern Illinois Food Bank and started the Mideastern Illinois Labor Council, a regional labor food bank group supporting Coles County and 10 neighboring counties.

The food bank is being held for low-income residents at 10 a.m. until noon at the St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church which is located on the corner of 10th Street and Jefferson Avenue.

Each family can select approximately $50 out of the 5,000 pounds of canned and boxed food available at the food bank, which is purchased from the Eastern Illinois Food Bank.

Mr. Dulka, 65, died Dec. 23 of lung cancer in his home. He was actively involved in UPI, MILC, the university and as chapter president of Eastern’s American Federation of Teachers. Mr. Dulka was a Spanish professor for more than 10 years before his retirement in May 2000.

“Eastern Illinois University would be in a lot worse place without Rich Dulka,” Mitch Vogel, President of the state-wide UPI, said in January.

Winona Dulka, Mr. Dulka’s daughter-in-law, described him as very passionate in whatever he put his mind to.

“He always seemed to be working for the underdog,” she said in January.