By Al Benson
A pop-up food pantry will be held by Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry from 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 24, at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 155 N. Prince Crossing Road in West Chicago.
Area residents are invited to drive through to receive groceries. Admission is free. Identification and registration are not required.
Pantry volunteers will load bags of free food and other items into guests’ vehicles. Food for 200 families will be available on a first-come basis. Items to be distributed include granola bars, fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, pasta, pasta sauce, eggs, ground beef, cereal, applesauce, apple juice, and box dinners.
Additional items include toilet paper, laundry detergent, hygiene items, diapers, wipes and play balls. The distribution is in cooperation with a St. Andrew food distribution ministry begun in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 crisis. The event is Interfaith’s 15th mobile pantry since January.
Interfaith’s first evening pantry July 9 served a record 182 families, including 401 children, outside the former Carson’s store in Aurora. Other prior drive-throughs were held in East Aurora, Oswego, Montgomery, Plano, and Crest Hill.
Interfaith partners with Fox Valley Park District, Calvary Church of Naperville and Blessings in a Backpack of Chicago to provide free groceries and other items to local families at the pop-ups.
Assisting Dunnigan is Rev. Kyle Dern, Calvary outreach pastor. He drives a church truck that transports food to distribution sites. About 10 volunteers, including Calvary congregants and food pantry personnel, assist at the pantries.
Call 630-692-3061 or visit aurorafoodpantry.org for more information.