Salvation Army Aurora Corps receives grants for food and financial assistance

The need for food and financial assistance has more than doubled at the Aurora Corps during the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff and volunteers are serving 580 individuals each week at the corps food pantry, compared to 280 individuals weekly prior to mid-March.

"We are so very grateful for these grants," said Captain Rich Forney of The Salvation Army Aurora Corps. "These grant funds will help us purchase equipment and additional inventory for our food pantry, as we work to keep up with the growing needs and demand of the Aurora community."

The funds include:

• $10,000 Unmet Needs Grant from the Northern Illinois Food Bank. The funds were used to purchase a pallet jack, carts, and shelves for food distribution.

• $5,000 from the COVID-19 Grantmaking Program from the Community Foundation of Fox River Valley.

Funds will help bring more fruits, vegetables, proteins, and other fresh, nutritious food items to the pantry. Portions of the grant will also be distributed as emergency assistance, such as one-time rent or utility payments, to individuals and families facing financial hardship.

Donations are needed to meet the increase in requests for emergency assistance in the community amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

By giving, you can help a neighbor access food, make rent or keep the lights on.

Go to www.SalArmyAurora.org or call (630) 897-7265 to help.

As one of the largest direct providers of social services, The Salvation Army operates 29 corps community centers, as well as other facilities in neighborhoods across the Chicago Metropolitan Division, spanning from Rockford to Northwest Indiana. Locally in Aurora, the organization offers homelessness prevention, a food pantry, emergency assistance, disaster relief services, after-school programs, and more. For more information, visit www.SalArmyAurora.org.