Support Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry at 13th annual Holiday Food Drive
Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry is holding its 13th annual Holiday Food Drive from Nov. 1-25 at three area grocery stores: Prisco's Family Market, 1108 Prairie St., Aurora; Cermak Fresh Market, 1250 N. Lake St., Aurora; and La Chiquita, 1525 Douglas Rd., Montgomery.
Shoppers will be able to purchase prepackaged bags of food at $5, $10 and $15 for donation to Aurora Food Pantry, as well as make monetary donations, getting much-needed food to struggling families in our community.
Prior to COVID-19 cases escalating in the United States, the Aurora Food Pantry was serving 38,000 families annually in a free-choice marketplace setting.
After the pantry enacted their Pandemic Response Plan, all food distributions were seamlessly transitioned to an outdoor, drive-thru model.
The Aurora Food Pantry has tirelessly worked to keep staff, volunteers and clients safe and has yet to have a positive case on campus. While everyone on campus has remained safe, the impact of the coronavirus on local food insecurity has been substantial, with 15% of Illinois residents now needing supplemental food assistance. With the increased need, an additional 15,000 families came to the Aurora Food Pantry for help.
Now, with the surge in demand, decline in food donations and fewer volunteers, the Aurora Food Pantry is asking for help from the community.
"Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for food in our community has grown exponentially," said Alia Rivera, Development Manager. "With our community's help, Aurora Food Pantry will support our neighbors in need and ensure that no one goes hungry during the holidays. This is a traditional time of celebration, but for the 53,000 families that do not have enough food, this time of year can be stressful and difficult," Rivera continued. "We are so grateful to our sponsors and the community for helping make this event a success year after year and for providing nourishing food to our hungry neighbors."
Aurora Food Pantry and the people they serve throughout the six surrounding counties need your help more than ever this year. If you would like to make a donation, please visit www.aurorafoodpantry.org/donate and select "Holiday Food Drive" as the donation category or send a check to Aurora Food Pantry, P.O. Box 2602, Aurora, IL 60507 with Holiday Food Drive on the memo line.
Every $1 donated provides $7 worth of food.
Another way to participate is to volunteer to distribute Holiday Food Drive flyers to shoppers at the grocery stores. The level of donations increases significantly when shoppers are handed the food drive information as they enter the stores. This is a great activity for scouts (wear your uniform!), youth and church groups and for students that need community service hours. Contact Marcy to schedule your time by email at mrobles@aurorafoodpantry.org or phone (630) 692-3056.
The Holiday Food Drive is sponsored by Dolan & Murphy, Inc., Prisco's Family Market, Cermak Fresh Market, La Chiquita, 95.9 The River, Aurora Fastprint, The Beacon News, Douglas Carpet One, Gerald Subaru of Naperville/North Aurora, and AC's Pub.
"95.9 The River will be broadcasting live at Prisco's, Cermak and La Chiquita on the weekends and the day before Thanksgiving," said Dan Dolan, who initiated this community food drive and is its lead supporter. "You can visit Aurora Food Pantry's website for the schedule and be sure to stop by and say hello," said Dan.
Additional information about the Holiday Food Drive is available by calling (630) 897-3056 or visiting www.aurorafoodpantry.org/holiday-food-drive.
Founded in 1981, Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry operates one of the largest food pantries in northern Illinois, distributing 3.4 million pounds of food to approximately 196,000 unique individuals annually. The mission of Aurora Food Pantry is to help end local hunger by ensuring that everyone has access to enough nourishing food, thereby helping the overall community stay healthy and productive.
For more information please visit www.aurorafoodpantry.org, call (630) 897-2127, follow the food pantry on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.