September marks Hunger Action Month and the timing could not be more symbolic for Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry (MWFP) volunteers working on the front lines to feed Aurora area residents. As Summer winds to an end, MWFP volunteers are working overtime to benefit those in the community who are fighting hunger during a time of year where pantries traditionally see the most demand.
More than 62,000 people suffer from hunger in Kane County. The Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry was the pioneer food pantry in Aurora, founded to make basic needs available to those who need them. Last year alone, MWFP served 102,000 individuals and that number continues to grow weekly. Pantry clients include children, the elderly, low income residents, the disabled and individuals who are employed but do not earn enough to make ends meet.
Unemployment, rapidly rising inflation, and other factors exacerbated by the pandemic have increased demand for MWFP services over the past 18 months, and those needs are anticipated to drive even higher going into the Winter months, when demand typically increases. We have yet to see the impact of pandemic economic stimulus measures which expired at the start of this month, but we anticipate it shall send more individuals seeking our services.
Those in the community who would like to help Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry have many opportunities.
—Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry executive director Diane Renner