Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry struggles to feed the community

Each food distribution day, the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry staff of 11 dons ventilator masks and gloves and heads out to the parking lot to load groceries into cars for hungry neighbors.

"We used to feed about 290 people on distribution days," Executive Director Cat Battista said. "With the onset of COVID-19, we began to see triple that amount."

The Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry at 1110 Jericho Road is struggling to keep its 18,000-square-foot warehouse stocked.

"One Saturday, we faced empty shelves and put out a call to the community," Battista said. "People dropped off thousands of pounds of food, enabling us to get through that week, but we have to live day-to-day and hope that more people will learn about our plight and help us feed our neighbors."

"So many people have lost their jobs and can't put food on the table for their families," she continued. "The best thing anyone can do is to go to our website and buy a box of food.

"The only way we can feed our community is if those of us who have enough to live on support the food pantry," Battista said. "Everyone benefits from a healthy community."

Founded in 1980, Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry operates one of the largest food pantries in northern Illinois, distributing 3.6 million pounds of food to more than 24,000 individuals last year.

The mission of the food pantry is to help end local hunger by ensuring that everyone has access to enough nourishing food.

Every $10 donation equals $70 of food.

For more information or donations, call (630) 897-2127 or visit aurorafoodpantry.org.