HCS Food Pantry Extends Hours to Help Flood Victims

HCS Family Services in Hinsdale will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday and Friday after it experienced a distribution increase earlier this week.

The food pantry at HCS Family Services in Hinsdale will be open an extra day this week and stay open longer hours to address an increased need after last week's extensive flooding in DuPage County. The HCS pantry will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, according to a release from the family services organization located in Hinsdale's Memorial Hall, 20 E. Maple St. Typically, the pantry is open on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays only until 12:30 p.m. "The pantry itself was not affected by the flooding, but is being inundated this week with requests for food," the release reads. "In fact, Monday of this week, the food pantry experienced a 45 percent increase in distribution, staying open an extra two hours to meet …

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Glen Ellyn Food Pantry in Desperate Need of Donations

The Glen Ellyn Food Pantry is in need of cash and food donations to meet client demand.

The need for food in the Glen Ellyn area has grown to the point where the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry is now experiences shortages in funds and food items. The nonprofit is reaching out to the community to seek additional donations. While the food pantry receives a lot of community support, the need for food assistance has surpassed cash donations. The Glen Ellyn Food Pantry is short on donations of food items and cash donations it uses to purchase perishable goods including: milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, frozen meat and vegetables. “With the economy we are definitely seeing a bigger rise in new clients, that has something to do with it,” said Terri Venzon, the pantry coordinator. “I’m sure over the years it’s been a roller coaster [with need …

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Food Pantry Seeks Donations to Supply More Than 600 Thanksgiving Meals

The number of meals the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry distributes at Thanksgiving has steadily increased every year for the last several years, but the community's help is needed to ensure continued success.

Every month, the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry provides food to about 1,500 people who are at risk of going hungry without the nonprofit’s help. Forty percent of those helped are children. In recent years, the food pantry has experienced an increase in the number of families and individuals it serves. With the holidays around the corner, the organization is hoping the community will help ensure that everyone has a happy Thanksgiving and answer the call for its Thanksgiving Meal Appeal. The Glen Ellyn Food Pantry is seeking sponsors for its Thanksgiving Meal Boxes. This year, the organization will distribute 660 meal boxes (450 large family; 170 small family), Executive Director Susan Papierski said. That number is 110 more meal boxes than it …

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Wonderful Wednesday

Dine Out Wednesday and 'Take a Bite Out of Hunger'

A dozen Glen Ellyn restaurants will donate 10 percent of their receipts today to the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry.

So much goes on during the summer, with people vacationing and parents running the kids around to activities, nonprofits see a decline in donations as people direct their energy elsewhere. At the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry, donations definitely drop during summer, but though things are a little sparser at the pantry, the organization is always prepared to help those in need, according to an official with the nonprofit. Wednesday, locals have a way to give back to the organization while enjoying a meal at their favorite restaurant. Diners can “Take a Bite Out of Hunger” while eating at participating restaurants,which will donate 10 percent of their receipts Wednesday to the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry. The food pantry is located within Grace …

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Your Volunteer Guide for Glen Ellyn

There Are Many Ways to Help at the Food Pantry

The Glen Ellyn Food Pantry helps ensure all families have the food they need.

Getting food from a pantry is not something that any parent wants to do. In the current economic climate, however, it’s something that many have had to do. It’s not just limited to parents, either. This is a primary driver behind the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry. Susan Papierski, the executive director of the pantry, says that her volunteers are crucial to the program. “They are a huge piece of the puzzle,” she said. According to Ms. Papierski, the pantry operates on a schedule so all volunteers know well in advance when they will be working. “We have over 200 volunteers on the list,” Papierski advised, “They do everything from shopping, restocking, working with clients and helping with special events.” One of the special events includes a big …

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Matthew Hendrickson

1:59 pm on Monday, March 7, 2011

Hey Glen, Thanks for letting us know about a fourth way to help out the food pantry!   more ›