One in 10 individuals from northern Illinois, including one in eight children, is facing hunger this year due to the ongoing economic fallout from COVID-19. Neighbors in our communities are struggling to put food on the table, many facing this difficult reality for the first time in their lives. That is why the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry (Aurora Food Pantry) will hold its 14th Annual Holiday Food Drive from November 1-24 at three area grocery stores, Prisco’s Family Market, 1108 Prairie Street, Aurora; Cermak Fresh Market, 1250 N. Lake Street, Aurora; and La Chiquita, 1525 Douglas Road, Montgomery. Shoppers will be able to purchase prepackaged bags of food ranging from $5 to $15 for donation to Aurora Food Pantry. Additionally, the Pantry will accept monetary donations from the community, getting much-needed food to struggling families in our community.
“Families all across the five counties we serve have faced a number of challenges during the pandemic and we have worked hard to serve our neighbors in their time of need. Our community continues to show up and be a true partner in the fight against hunger,” said Aurora Food Pantry executive director, Shannon Cameron. “We are truly grateful for each and every donation, both monetary and through the grocery stores. This food drive is an important vehicle in the pantry’s ability to provide meals to families in need during the holidays.”
At the peak of the pandemic, Aurora Food Pantry served 400% more families than the previous year. And even now, the pantry is still seeing an increased need for food assistance. Katie Arko, senior development director at the Aurora Food Pantry knows that the need continues, “even as the COVID-19 numbers begin to trend downward, it is still going to be a long road to economic recovery for so many of the families we serve — they deserve a warm meal shared with family this holiday. It’s imperative that people know the need still exists and that the Aurora Food Pantry is only able to feed those in need because of donations from the community.” Rising food costs and continued supply chain issues could cause a lot of stress this year to families in our community.
You can ensure families have access to nourishing food and less stress this holiday season by adding a prepackaged bag of holiday food items to your regular grocery cart this November at one of the participating supermarkets. If you would rather make a monetary donation, please visit www.aurorafoodpantry.org/holiday-food-drive or send a check to Aurora Food Pantry, 1110 Jericho Road, Aurora, IL 60506 with Holiday Food Drive on the memo line. Every $1 donated provides $8 worth of food.
Another way to participate is to volunteer to distribute Holiday Food Drive flyers to shoppers at the grocery stores. The level of donations increases significantly when shoppers are handed the food drive information as they enter the stores. This is a great activity for scouts (wear your uniform!), youth and church groups and for students that need community service hours. Contact Marcy to schedule your time by email at mrobles@aurorafoodpantry.org or phone 630-692-3056.
The 14th Annual Holiday Food Drive is sponsored by Dolan & Murphy Team of Caton Commercial, 95.9 The River, The Beacon News, Aurora Fastprint, Douglas Carpet One, Gerald Subaru of Naperville/North Aurora, and AC’s Pub. 95.9 The River will be broadcasting live at Prisco’s, Cermak and La Chiquita on the weekends and the day before Thanksgiving Day. You can visit Aurora Food Pantry’s website for the schedule and be sure to stop by to let us know why you are helping your neighbors this holiday season. Additional information about the Holiday Food Drive is available by calling 630-897-3056 or visiting www.aurorafoodpantry.org/holiday-food-drive.
Founded in 1981, Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry operates one of the largest food pantries in northern Illinois, distributing 3.4 million pounds of food to approximately 196,000 unique individuals annually. The mission of Aurora Food Pantry is to help end local hunger by ensuring that everyone has access to enough nourishing food, thereby helping the overall community stay healthy and productive. For more information please visit www.aurorafoodpantry.org, call 630-897-2127, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
—Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry