Glen Ellyn Food Pantry has seen tremendous growth is the demand for food assistance over the past three years:
| *** | Actual 2013 | Actual 2014 | Actual 2015 |
| Pounds Distributed | 450,000 | 825,000 | 900,000 |
| $$ value Distributed | $1,110,778 | $2,272,000 | 2,600,000 |
| # Clients Served | 17,500 | 22,000 | 29,000 |
A significant game changer for us has been the ability to recover food from local retailer through the Direct Connect Partners of the Northern Illinois Food Bank. This program has been truly monumental, enabling us to distribute over 20,000 pounds of fresh produce, meats, dairy, and bakery products to our clients on a weekly basis.
The Glen Ellyn Food Pantry is grateful for the ongoing support we have received from our community. Here are some examples:
• Food drives and monetary donations from individuals, churches, local organizations, and businesses allow us to maintain a healthy inventory of food choices for our clients.
• The Direct Connect food recovery program, a partnership with six area food retailers, has enabled us to distribute over 16,000 pounds of healthy food, including fresh produce, meats, dairy, and bakery products, to our clients on a weekly basis.
• Through our partnership with the Northern Illinois Food Bank, the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry is able to purchase all other necessary food and personal care items at greatly reduced cost, optimizing our spending dollars.
Even with all this, ours shelves are still emptied each and every week. The demand for food assistance does not decrease, and the amount of food donated from retailers and food drives varies throughout the year. Monetary donations are needed to allow us to purchase items that are not consistently donated and to fill our shelves when they are empty.
We depend on our donors and volunteers to help us in our mission to respond to hunger and poverty in our community. As you consider your end of year giving, please take a moment to consider how your generous tax deductible donation can make a direct and positive difference in the life of a local family who is experiencing financial hardship. We welcome you to visit our Pantry during our operating hours to see how your donation directly helps those in need. Donations can be made online at www.glenellynfoodpantry.org or mailed to Glen Ellyn Food Pantry. 493 Forest Ave, Glen Ellyn, IL 60137.