Northern Illinois Food Bank enjoys new headquarters
The word “your” was used a lot Tuesday at the grand opening of the new headquarters of the Northern Illinois Food Bank.
Its officials wanted to make sure people understand the facility is there to serve them, and for them to serve their neighbors. The agency serves charity food pantries and nutrition assistance programs in 13 counties.
“This truly is your Community Nutrition and Food Distribution Center. It is a community commitment to see that no one in northern Illinois has to wonder where his next meal will come from,” said Dan Adzia, chairman of the board of directors.
The nonprofit agency celebrated its move to a spacious new building to an industrial park Geneva, showing it off to volunteers, local legislators and its agency partners. The building began operations last week.
“No more backups at distribution docks, no waiting in line at the weigh stations, or having to jockey foods around because we didn’t have enough freezer space ... or having to reject foods because we didn’t have space,” NIFB President and Chief Executive Officer Pete Schaefer told the appreciative volunteers.
When asked to name the best thing about the new building, he couldn’t pick one. Instead, he said, it is “The whole general flow.” The incoming and outgoing docks are separated. A higher ceiling in the dry goods warehouse lets them stack twice as many goods. The freezer is large enough the bank won’t have to rent space off site. There’s a temperature- and humidity-controlled clean room where they can repackage bulk foods, such as pasta, into smaller containers. There are two kitchens — a demonstration one, where they plan to teach about food and cooking, and a production kitchen. That kitchen, which still needs equipment, will prepare Child Nutrition Program snacks and meals, and holiday meals.
And the massive volunteer hall just takes Schaefer’s breath away. “Something magical” will take place there, he said, when volunteers are busy sorting donations and packaging orders.
One of the volunteers, Ralph Kuhn of Carol Stream, gave visitors the chills as he showed them meat cooler — at 10 degrees below zero. Kuhn and his wife have run the meat donation program for five years, processing donations from grocery stores. With the larger space, he expects to process 42 percent more product — up to 5 million pounds annually.
One of the guests, Deborah Smith of Hanover Park, was a recipient of the food provided through the bank. She began using the Wayne Township Food Pantry four years ago, after she and her husband lost their jobs.
“It took a long time to go through the food pantry,” she said, because of embarrassment. “You are ashamed of yourself when you realize you can’t feed your family.” She praised the Wayne Township staff, saying, “They are so nice when we go in there” and that they provided moral support.
And even though her husband found a job two months ago, they still need the help. “It’s going to take a long, long time to get out of the hole,” Smith said.
The food bank began as Bethlehem Center Food Depository in 1982 in Carol Stream, and distributed 64,000 pounds of food to 80 agencies its first year. It expects this year to distribute 35 million pounds to 600 agencies. This week, that included distributions of 2,445 pounds to the Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry, and 718 pounds to Christ Temple Food Pantry. A shrink-wrapped pallet of potatoes awaited a pickup by Hands of Hope.
More than 60,000 people a week rely on food provided through the bank.
“Our hungry neighbors will know that there is a friend looking out for them,” said state Sen. John Millner, who volunteers at the food bank.