Food for Greater Elgin to celebrate 15 years with open house Friday

Food for Greater Elgin will hold an open house to celebrate 15 years of fighting food insecurity in the Elgin area.

The event is scheduled for 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, July 31, at the nonprofit’s warehouse facility, 1553 Commerce Drive. It will feature a behind-the-scenes tour of the pantry, light refreshments and a chance to connect with staff and volunteers for the organization.

Emily Tyler, Food for Greater Elgin’s director of development, said the organization is expected to serve more than 150,000 guests this year.

“Whether it’s donors, volunteers, major funders, it just takes a lot of people to do that, and we're grateful,” she said.

Food for Greater Elgin is a client-choice food pantry where shoppers can select meat, fresh produce, dairy, deli and shelf-stable items. Most visitors leave with their shopping cart full of food, weighing about 100 pounds in total.

Feeding America estimates that 1.2 pounds of food equals a meal.

In addition to celebrating the anniversary, the open house serves as an opportunity to raise awareness about the organization’s work.

“We continue to be surprised about how many people don't know we're here, both donors, volunteers and shoppers,” Tyler said.

People attending the celebration can learn about upcoming improvements to the warehouse near the intersection of I-90 and Route 31. An upcoming remodel of the building’s cramped administrative areas will allow more space for guests to wait inside.

They’re moving the entrance closer to the parking lot and adding a covered area outside for anyone in line.

The improvements build upon other changes over the years that led the organization to earn a 99% approval rating in a recent survey asking guests if they feel safe, respected and treated with dignity when they visit Food for Greater Elgin.

“Everything is to improve our guest experience,” Tyler said. “We're just really pleased that our guests feel that we are taking care of them when they come to shop here.”