50K Pounds Of Food Donated To West Suburban Pantry After Tornado

WOODRIDGE, IL — From tractor-trailers full of food sent by partner companies, to grocery bags full of canned goods donated by individual residents, West Suburban Community Pantry collected more than 50,000 pounds of food in just one week to aid tornado victims in and around Woodridge.

"Inundated" With Donations

The food pantry has been "completely inundated"with contributions since they put out a call for donations to help victims of the deadly EF-3 tornado that devastated parts of Woodridge, Naperville and Darien on June 20, spokesperson Deb Newman told Patch. Newman said residents also donated diapers, cleaning supplies, bottled water and other items.

"We literally had tractor trailers from Walmart and from Lowe's show up with trucks full of food" a day after asking for help, Newman said.

Pantry staff and volunteers have been working hard to keep up with the influx of donations, which they had to organize and inventory before distributing.

The outpouring of support was crucial in the immediate aftermath of the tornado, Newman said. "The first week, people were frantic to get any help they could."

She said at least 20 families who visited the pantry self-identified as tornado victims, though there may be more who chose not to self-identify. Some people came because "they won't have a kitchen for a while" after their homes were destroyed, Newman said. Others had been without electricity for days, which caused the food in their refrigerators and freezers to spoil.

Newman said West Suburban Community Pantry gave out some 2,000 pounds of food to these tornado victims in a matter of days. They also teamed up with the Village of Woodridge and donated around 2,000 pounds of non-perishables, water and cleaning supplies.

Meeting Increased Demands

The tornado crisis put increased demands on West Suburban Community Pantry just a month after they reopened their 6809 Hobson Valley Drive facility to the public. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, the number of people who needed the pantry's services swelled to almost twice the normal demand, Newman explained.

“We typically see 500 families a month," Newman said, "Since the pandemic it’s been considerably more than that."

Related: Naperville Amazon Fresh Store Delivers To Help Local Food Pantry

Upon reopening, the pantry had expanded and partnered with Amazon Fresh in Naperville to offer "more vegetarian and ethnic food options" for families in need, Newman said. Clients also now have access to a virtual food pantry that launched in March 2021 and is available 24 hours.

Newman said, “A lot of these families will continue to struggle for many moons to come, and we just want to be there for them."

What's Next

Since June 20, staff, volunteers and other team members at West Suburban Community Pantry have been in and out of phone calls and meetings with other agencies who are providing aid to tornado victims. Newman said they're working tirelessly on ways to offer assistance "beyond the crisis need."

“We are poised and ready to work with a number of different agencies to address the longer term needs of families," she said.

The pantry extended its hours immediately after the tornado hit, but has resumed its regular hours of operation for clients.

Hours are as follows:

Monday: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. (milk, eggs and produce only)

Tuesday: 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Thursday: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Saturday: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Ways To Help

As of June 24, the food pantry is sufficiently stocked on "emergency supplies," according to a social media post.

Those who still want to help can donate gift cards for big box retailers and gas stations, as impacted residents may be in need of clothes, fuel, shoes or household items. The food pantry cannot accept direct donations of household items, toys, or clothing.

Click the links to see a list of the pantry's most-needed food items or to make a monetary donation.

Gratitude

Newman said West Suburban Community Pantry has been "grateful for the opportunity to serve.”

They're also grateful to the residents who have done their part to make donations and show support for tornado victims.

“When people are in crisis, one of the most healthy things people can do is find ways to help," Newman said.

"It heals the entire community.”

Patch has partnered with Feeding America to help raise awareness on behalf of the millions of Americans facing hunger. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks across the country, estimates that in 2021, about 42 million Americans may not have enough nutritious food to eat due to the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.