In order to serve about 1,100 families who live near the poverty line in the Glenview, Northfield and Northbrook area, Northfield Township Food Pantry officials are crossing their fingers that work will be done in time to unveil an expanded operation in April, thanks to $1.5 million in grants and fundraising.
After a $100,000 donation from Glenview Jan. 7 and a $300,000 grant from Endeavor Health on Jan. 13, the pantry reached its fundraising goal of $1.5 million to move the pantry and township offices into larger quarters, said Shiva Mohsenzadeh, township supervisor and president of the food pantry.
The new space is located within the same building, so clients can continue coming to an address they already know.
““With this support, we are not only building a more accessible and efficient space, but also expanding our capacity to serve the growing needs of our community,” Mohsenzadeh said.
The decision to expand and move operations came as the result of a strategic plan created by township officials, she said.
“The number one thing that came up was space, for both the township and the food pantry,” Mohsenzadeh said.
Township offices and the pantry were packed into 2,000 square feet in the basement of an office complex at 2550 Waukegan Road in Glenview, said Alida Naily, township assessor and vice president of the food pantry.
The township purchased the 3,800-square-foot first floor for $1.4 million about a year and a half ago, after a PNC Bank branch closed and officials persuaded the Edward R. James homebuilders office to move to the rear of the building, Naily said.
“The owners were looking to sell and we were able to get a reasonable price,” Mohsenzadeh said. “We could not (otherwise) find a space that was as affordable and accessible.”
The township has already moved its offices upstairs to the former Edward R. James space, where the branch left its furniture to the township, and plans to move the pantry into the former PNC bank, Naily said.
The future pantry space is undergoing extensive renovation to create a drive-through, walk-in freezer and coolers, and expanded food storage space, Mohsenzadeh said.
The pantry, which opened about 50 years ago, serves more than 1,100 families in Glenview, Northbrook and Northfield, Naily said. The typical family of three receives about $400 a month in food and gift cards, she said.
About 5% of Northfield Township residents live at the poverty level or below, Naily said. The pantry currently serves about 60% of the eligible population, she said.
“There is food insecurity in the township. People are deciding between rent and food,” Naily said. “In order to serve more, we need a better, more logistically planned space.”
In the current basement location, patrons struggle pushing carts up a steep ramp leading from the entrance, Mohsenzadeh said.
“We can’t bring pallets onto the ramp,” she said. “We have to take them apart and bring in deliveries a little at a time.”
The pantry, which has been located in its current space for about 10 years, is staffed by more than 200 volunteers, four or five at a time, who change shifts every two hours, Naily said.
Food is provided by donors, including local grocery stores who contribute products that otherwise would go to waste, including Trader Joe’s, Costco, Whole Foods Market and local bakeries, Mohsenzadeh said.
The pantry operates as an agent of the Greater Chicago Food Depository and uses no tax dollars, Naily said. Donations come from community organizations and individuals, she said.
Two volunteers contributed $50,000 each to the fundraising campaign, Mohsenzadeh said. “The community believes strongly in the value of this program,” she said.
Participating families receive a shopping list from the pantry, based on the size of each family, Naily said.
“For example, the list might say, ‘You get three pastries, three beverages, etc.,” she said. “Everybody gets milk, butter, meat, eggs, fresh vegetables, bakery goods and prepared food.”
Other available supplies include toilet paper, paper towels, personal items such as feminine pads, and baby food, formula and diapers, Naily said.
