Growth prompts local food pantry’s move to Arlington Heights

Twelve years ago, Saroj Gandhi had an idea to help battle food insecurity.

An immigrant from New Zealand, Gandhi, who goes by Sue, had worked for Allstate until about 2009. After spending a couple years taking care of family, she decided to take care of her neighbors as well, specifically single mothers.

A friend of hers who remodeled houses offered to put up some shelves in the garage at Gandhi’s Vernon Hills home. That prompted Gandhi to open Sue’s Pantry in that space, aiming to help single mothers provide food for their families. Over time, the operation grew to serve 100 to 200 families of all types at once.

This year, though, Gandhi got an unfortunate notice from her homeowner’s association. She was facing a fine if she didn’t move her pantry elsewhere, likely because of its growing scale. After a brief, two-month shutdown, Gandhi reopened on Sept. 26 at a new location in Arlington Heights.

The pantry now is housed in an office building at 5 E. College Drive.

Though initially upset to have to move, Gandhi says her new space has its advantages.

“The good thing is there is a lot of parking,” Gandhi said. “So, you know, nobody is blocking anybody. There’s also a backdoor entrance for my larger deliveries, which could come in a truck or a van.”

One thing Gandhi loved about her garage, though, was the ease with which she was able to get to know her families.

“One of my main goals is to connect with every family, and every family is like family to me,” Gandhi said. “And so, especially in my garage, I’d hear their stories because I asked them ‘how are you doing?’”

In connecting with them, Gandhi realized different families have different needs, and she strives to provide each of them with food they actually will eat. She takes requests from families, offering to buy specific foods for people with food sensitivities or dietary restrictions due to health concerns.

Gandhi also realized she could be helpful providing items besides food. She also has offered cleaning supplies, toiletries, school supplies and more to families, and even will pay for people’s gas to come to her pantry.

“I usually say, if you can get to me, then I can give you a gas card for you to get back home,” Gandhi said.

Sue’s Pantry is funded by a mix of donations and Ghandi’s own money. She says she and her husband have a budget each year for the pantry. Since around 2013, the pantry also has partnered with Community Solutions of Illinois, which helps pick up and deliver perishable items.

In the grand scheme of things, Gandhi says she doesn’t know the solution to food insecurity, but she figures her role is to help whoever she can.

“My husband and I, we run this food pantry together. We can’t really master that problem. The only thing I can do is to help them in the best way I can and provide all of their basic needs,” Gandhi said.