Glen Ellyn Food Pantry and Local Restaurants Team Up to End Hunger

The Glen Ellyn Food Pantry is hoping that customers will visit 11 area restaurants to help “Take a Bite Out of Hunger” on Wednesday, Aug. 17. 

The pantry, located at 493 Forest Ave., is trying something new. Pantry organizers asked 11 different owners of local eateries to donate 10 percent of their proceeds, from one day, to help support the pantry, which provides food to more than 300 people every month. 

“It’s summer, and things have been slow for the food pantry. People are gone and the contributions just don’t come in as they do throughout the year,” said Jennifer Darnall, one of the organizers. “The restaurants have been very receptive to it, and because it’s on a Wednesday, hopefully they will get more business from it as well,” said Darnall. 

The pantry’s board came up with the idea for the benefit sometime ago, but they never moved forward with the project because they were unsure if restaurants would participate. But organizers got the benefit off the ground by asking most of the restaurants in the village to participant.

was the first to sign-on.

“It’s a great cause. Times are tough and more and more people need to be fed,” said Cindy Hamilton, manager of the bistro located at 430 N. Main St. “We like to partner with local charities when we know the money affects our community.”

The participating restaurants were provided with “Take a Bite Out Hunger” posters to hang in their windows, and marketing material to help promote the day of charity to customers. 

Darnall said this year they kept the number of participating restaurants small for the first event, but hoped to add more eateries in the future should the benefit prove to be successful. 

 Participating Glen Ellyn restaurants include: , , , , , , , and , , .