FISH Food Pantry hopes to relocate before summer

"Ambitious" may be the best word to describe the local FISH Food Pantry volunteers' timetable to move into their new site in the Meadowdale Shopping Center.

In the next two months, they want to raise enough money and renovate vacant space so they can meet the steady summer demand for food by local families in between school years.

Mary Graziano, pantry president, wants to see those renovations completed in May.

"That way we could have the bugs worked out of our new system," she said. "When we're in our new site, families will be able to select their own food. Now they give us their order and we fill bags."

Her husband, Mike, who's helping coordinate the renovations, said, realistically, "Most likely (the new pantry will be running) by the end of June.

"This week, I'm meeting with an architect, and we'll discuss everything that needs to be done," Mike Graziano said. "Then, we'll go out for (three) bids to hire a general contractor."

The contractor will help them determine how much plumbing and electrical work will be needed. Before that, building permits must be applied for and reviewed by Carpentersville officials.

The contractor will help the volunteers decide how much money will be needed to prepare the site for the pantry.

"I imagine that the electrical work will be one of the largest expenses," Mike said.

Then, volunteers must set a fundraising goal and decide how they will raise the money for the new 7,000-square-foot site. The clock is also ticking on that part of the project.

Summer is usually a slow season for FISH volunteers in terms of donations. Schools are not in session. People go on vacation and food and money donations decrease.

However, it is not slow for the demand. Since schools are not in sessions, students cannot take advantage of free government-funded breakfast and lunch programs. In turn, parents must provide regular meals for their children seven days a week.

"The contractor will decide how much we need. Until we hire one, we won't know," Mary said. "Once we know, we'll have to get the word out and let people know."

Currently, FISH is in cramped quarters in the Meadowdale Shopping Center on Route 25 in Carpentersville. For months, volunteers have been working on plans to move down the hall to a new site. The move will not only add 2,500 square feet to their working space, but it will allow them to work in the same unit where their coolers and storage space are.

Also, it will give volunteers more room to fill orders and not bump into each other while they are filling bags for families who live in Carpentersville, East and West Dundee, Sleepy Hollow and Gilberts who cannot afford to buy their own food.

"Being able to shop for their own food will give the families more dignity because they'll be able to select their own food and not just take what is given to them," Mary said.

An average of 525 families turn to the pantry twice every month to put food on their tables.

Volunteers depend on food donations from families, schools, churches and local grocery stores to fill their shelves. They also depend on money donations to pay rent and utilities, along with nonperishable items they purchase from the Northern Illinois Food Bank.

Special fundraisers such as the Thom McNamee Memorial St. Patrick's Day Parade, during which pantry volunteers collected $927, will help carry the pantry through the year.

The renovation project is one of the most ambitious volunteers have had in decades. Mary and Mike are convinced, though, the Dundee Township community will continue its generosity to meet all the pantry's goals.

Whenever there is a special need, people have always donated their time or money, Mary said.

Aside from the food and money, the pantry needs volunteers to collect the food from the grocery stores and drive it back to FISH in the pantry's van. To volunteer, call the pantry at (847) 428-4357.

FISH is open Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30-11:30 a.m. and Wednesday from 6-8 p.m.