Batavia food pantry to hold open house

Submitted by Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry

The Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry, 100 Flinn Drive, will have an open house from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, June 18, to mark 30 years of serving the Batavia community.

There will be displays of the average amount of food received by families, information charts and a chance to speak with volunteers.

The pantry was organized by Batavia clergy in 1981 at a time when the nation was also in the midst of a recession. At first, it served only a few families each month, but for the past two years it has served as many as 400 families a month.

It offers help to people living in the city of Batavia and Batavia Township. Families walk through the pantry choosing their own food. The pantry also offers perishables such as meat, cheese, cold cuts and other items.

The pantry receives no tax money; it has one paid director and hundreds of volunteers who guide people through the pantry, unload trucks, order food, pickup and deliver food and other items, and keep track of receipts and expenditures.

The pantry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation and a member of the Northern Illinois Food Bank in St. Charles. It also receives support from Batavia churches, several Batavia supermarkets, individuals and businesses and organizations.

Volunteers are always welcome. For details, call (630) 879-3784 or email volunteer@bataviafoodpantry.org.

To reach the pantry, go south two blocks from the intersection of Wilson Street and Shumway Avenue in downtown Batavia and turn right. The pantry is about a half-block on the left, adjacent to the city of Batavia’s water treatment plant.