Students find purpose and community impact at West Suburban Community Pantry

Peyton Szydlowski, an incoming senior at Downers Grove North High School, said it’s important to realize that not everyone has the privileges she has grown up with. “People go through different things, and I’ve learned that when someone is in a struggle, there are people who can help.”

One of the ways Peyton is helping is as a volunteer at West Suburban Community Pantry, where she has just been named president of the Pantry’s Junior Board.

Peyton learned about West Suburban Community Pantry in third and fourth grade by participating in the Kids Make a Difference youth volunteer program, where children and adults can volunteer at the Pantry together. She has served on the Junior Board since her freshman year in high school.

Peyton said her mom Nicole inspired her. “My mom is on the WSCP board of directors, and she believes in hands-on impact. Volunteering has allowed me to invest in my community and interact with people who care like I do.”

She is committed to finding ways to impact people in a personal way. “It may seem like a lot to get up early on Saturday morning, but being able to see the neighbors who are so grateful means a lot. Plus, we can spread the word among our peers through social media to share opportunities to volunteer and build awareness.”

Liam Brennan was among a cohort of seniors from St. Ignatius College Prep who spent several weeks volunteering at the Pantry for his Senior Capstone project. The Chicago private school dispatches seniors to their choice of about 90 nonprofit organizations every year to fulfill their Capstone requirements. Liam said in addition to being close to his La Grange home, he was interested in the variety of jobs he might encounter at the food pantry.

“My very first day I learned to use the pallet jack. There was something new every day from welcoming neighbors to unloading trucks, stocking shelves and helping load online orders,” he said. “One day I helped unload an 18-wheeler of 15,000 pounds of produce in an hour. I felt so accomplished, but also it blew me away to think about how many people that would help. You can really see the difference you’re making in a direct way.”

Liam spent some time running boxes of food to neighbors in their cars picking up online orders and says talking with the neighbors coming for food was especially rewarding. He described talking with a little girl who had a toy light saber.

“It was cool to tell her I’d had one too. Those kinds of interactions really set the tone for my weeks. And working with the volunteers and staff helped me see the impact of people who are devoted to the service of others.”

Though Liam had completed his service and presented his Capstone to the entire school this spring, he has tried to come back to the Pantry to volunteer on Saturdays because he appreciates helping neighbors receive their groceries directly and see the impact of his work up close.

In the fall, he is headed to Stanford University, where he says he hopes to find other opportunities to serve. “This was such an amazing experience, even if I never get to come back here, I now see that there will be organizations who will need help wherever I go.”

Tai Nghien and his twin brother Tien initially partnered with West Suburban Community Pantry to provide English language lessons to Spanish-speaking students. The incoming seniors at Naperville Central High School identified a need for additional support in the areas of science and math among students and developed STEM curricular activities to augment the tutoring sessions.

By adding hands-on experiments for students aged 6-12, the brothers were able to provide activities that tapped into students’ creativity, problem solving, and collaboration. “We recently had students create Rube Goldberg-like contraptions to perform simple tasks,” Tai said. “Students had fun working out their solutions together while they discovered science in ways that worked for them.”

Tai recently was recipient of a 2026 Princeton Prize in Race Relations awarded to high school students whose efforts had a significant positive effect on race relations in their schools or communities. The prize included an on-campus symposium which brought together winners from across the country to dialogue about race. Tai represented the Chicago region.

“WSCP took us seriously as a partner,” Tai said. “They allowed us to work with students and their parents to identify needs. Through word-of-mouth the program grew, and we began to see students taking ownership in mentoring their peers. That’s leadership and I believe STEAM will create the leaders of the future.”

Tail also valued the collaborative environment provided by the Pantry. “I can say I am grateful to be volunteering with the Pantry — beyond the experience of teaching, it’s been inspiring to see the power of mentorship affecting both me and the students. Now I find myself approaching challenges in different ways and I realize the change we are making.”

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 over 30 years, the Pantry offers an in-person food pantry in Woodridge, online ordering, and senior home delivery to households in DuPage and Will counties.

The pantry also provides support services to 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.