COOL Food Pantry open two days a week

Located at 25519 W. Hwy. 134 in Ingleside at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, the COOL Food Pantry West is open two days per week for families in need throughout western Lake County.

The food pantry is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays. The pantry also opens one Saturday per month (usually the last Saturday) from 10 a.m. to noon. Anyone who plans to visit the pantry on a Saturday is advised to call (847) 662-1230 to confirm the date. Visitors should arrive at least 15 minutes before the close of business to receive groceries.

Based in Waukegan, COOL Ministries operates two food pantries and a transitional housing program for homeless families with children. COOL Food Pantry East opened in 1983 and added the satellite pantry in Ingleside (Pantry West) in 2007.

COOL Family Housing opened in 1988 and now operates 12 home sites for homeless families in need of shelter to make a new start in life.

This has been a busy year for COOL Ministries. The central offices, along with the Family Housing staff and the entire Waukegan Food Pantry (Pantry East), recently relocated out of the Water Street location, which had been the home of COOL for nearly 30 years. They are now at 800 W. Glen Flora Ave., north of the downtown area.

Both of the COOL Food Pantries provide guests with nutritious food items, including meat, cereal, fruits, vegetables, pasta and soups and assorted breads, deserts and more. Visitors can receive a food supply once monthly and can return as often as they want to receive bread and other items that are free in the pantry lobby daily.

Food donations to COOL Pantries can be made any time during open pantry hours or by appointment. Contributions can be mailed to COOL Ministries, 800 W. Glen Flora Ave., Waukegan, IL 60085.