West Suburban Community Pantry provides free summer camps, tutoring for kids in need

Summer camp is a popular way to learn and grow for many young people in DuPage and Will counties. But some families cannot afford the expense of a camp experience. Beginning in July, 90 area children will be learning, growing and gaining lifelong skills through summer camps facilitated by West Suburban Community Pantry.

Art Camp for ages 5-7 and 8-12 offers youngsters the opportunity to express themselves and ease stresses they may be experiencing.

Camp teacher Patricia Rutter has experienced both health and financial challenges herself and has used art to alleviate her stress. So, when the opportunity to teach art camps at the pantry arose, Rutter was the obvious choice, according to support services coordinator Nancy Chatterjee.

“Wanting to give back is a testament to Patricia’s spirit. She is a great role model who understands the power of creative expression,” she says. “She knows survival is about standing tall and moving forward in tough times, and she’s sharing that with our campers through art.”

The pantry also offers a Cooking Camp for ages 8-12. “Many of these kids find themselves responsible for preparing meals for themselves and their families both in summer and during the school year while parents work. And sometimes, families worry about where they will get food,” Chatterjee said. “The goal is to make food a positive thing in families’ lives. And this is an ideal way for the pantry to extend our reach and get to know the families who need our help.”

Through University of Illinois Extension teacher Lisa Mills, campers learn to prepare nutritious and economical meals, and each camper goes home every week with a bag of produce so they can create meals for their families.

Thanks to the support of Woodridge Mayor Gina Cunningham and Police Chief Tom Stefanson, camps take place at Downers Grove South High School.

“Having the access to appropriate home economics and art classroom has allowed us to expand the capacity for camps and enrich the curriculum,” Chatterjee explained. “Chief Stefanson is committed to supporting youth initiatives in our community, and we are so grateful our campers can benefit.”

In addition to camp classes, campers and their families will enjoy field trips to the Museums at Lisle Station Park, Cosley Zoo, and an adventure park.

Funding for summer camps come from the Rotary Club of Naperville Sunrise, Woodridge Police Department and additional grants designed to support students in need. Students enrolled in the pantry’s English and math tutoring program, held on Saturdays throughout the school year and facilitated by partner not-for-profit En Espanol and Junior Board member Tai Nghiem, can take part in free STEM classes this summer.

Nghiem, a junior at Naperville North High School, said, “We spend approximately 45 minutes to an hour on the two experiments for each lesson, and the rest of the time is devoted to LEGOS. Each of our classes follows a specific theme, whether that be physics, or biology, broken down into fun experiments for our learners. We chose the Pantry as one of our class partnerships specifically because of the great work that it does for our community.”

For high schoolers, the pantry offers free ACT Prep tutoring this summer.

West Suburban Community Pantry provides food and resources to people facing hunger, unlocking access to nutritious meals and strengthening hope for tomorrow. Rooted in the community for more than 30 years, the pantry offers an in-person food pantry in Woodridge, an online market, and senior home delivery to households in DuPage and Will counties. Support services connect families to financial assistance, community resources and a variety of free workshops for both adults and children. Visit wscpantry.org and Facebook and Instagram to learn more.