Other counties should pitch in on food pantry

I support food pantries. In fact, I supported food pantries with a portion of my 2025 DuPage County Board member grants, though Loaves and Fishes in Naperville was not one of them.

The L&F pantry does good work. It serves a large number of people and is run by caring and intelligent management. However, when L&F sought a $2.5 million grant from DuPage County to expand its facilities, I voted no.

DuPage residents make up only 36% to 41% of people served by L&F. Conversely, 42% of the individuals served by L&F are from Kane County, 18% from Will County and 4% from Kendall County. During the last two years, Will and Kane counties combined have contributed slightly under $200,000 total to L&F. As a result, I believe that the other counties should pay a percentage of the $2.5 million that approximates the percentage that their residents benefit from L&F.

As stewards of the DuPage County tax dollars, I believe we should have represented the DuPage County taxpayers in this manner. DuPage taxpayers deserve a better return than 36 to 41 cents on the dollar.

In an editorial praising the vote to authorize the DuPage grant, the Daily Herald did not publish the facts I relied on to make my decision, only offered the nebulous statement that “a few DuPage board members have said that other counties should help fund the project’s estimated $8 million price tag.” The facts I stated above should have been part of the editorial and considered by the Daily Herald. In the future, both to better educate the public and to have a more informed opinion, the Daily Herald should consult with both sides of the issue and not rely on only one side.

Grant Eckhoff

Wheaton