“We are excited to announce that our generous community has come together to close the gap and hit our goal of $600k for the West Suburban Community Pantry Access 2020 initiative,” says Executive Director Laura Coyle. “This fundraising campaign, which kicked off in November of 2019, was stalled when Covid-19 forced the Pantry to pivot to accommodate demand which nearly tripled in March 2020. This funding is facilitating the Pantry’s expansion to double the number of people served by 2030.”
Online Ordering Launched
The Pantry has launched an online ordering system for customers who are either unable or unwilling to visit the Pantry in person. The Virtual Food Pantry will allow West Suburban to serve more communities from their Woodridge hub. Remote delivery of online orders allows customers to pick up their fresh groceries at a convenient location near their home or work. An additional online order and pick- up center has been built out at the Pantry’s Woodridge location, in addition to larger warehouse space to house additional food storage.
Pantry Store Renovated
The funding will also allow for completion of the planned Pantry Store renovations which were stopped by the pandemic. “We know many people enjoy the camaraderie and choice of shopping in our Pantry Store, and we look forward to welcoming customers back to shop in a bright new Pantry Store as soon as conditions allow,” says Coyle. The Close the Gap campaign effort was facilitated by a matching gift from the Perma-Seal Community Fund with the DuPage Foundation.