AURORA, Ill., Sept. 6, 2021 — For the first time, Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry’s mobile pop-up pantry will visit Fox Valley senior, low-income and supportive living facilities.

A truck with volunteers giving away food and household items will be parked from 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Sept.15, at Mercy Housing, 1259 E. Wilson St. in Batavia. From 10 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Sept. 22, a distribution will be held at Eden Supportive Living, 311 S. Lincolnway in North Aurora. The distributions are for facility residents only.

Rebecca Dunnigan, Interfaith community outreach and program director, said pantry officials plan to tweak the new pop-ups as needed.

Public drive-thru pop-ups resume Saturday, Sept. 18, from 8 a.m. to noon at St. Andrew Church in West Chicago and Friday, Oct. 1, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Northgate Shopping Center parking lot on Lake Street in Aurora.

Dunnigan reported a record 401 families including 733 children were served at the last public pantry held Aug. 14 at Georgetown Elementary School in Aurora. In addition to food, toilet paper, laundry detergent and hygiene items, 400 backpacks containing school supplies were distributed. Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin and eighth ward alderman Patty Smith assisted.

Since January, Interfaith has held mobile pop-up pantries at drive-thrus on Fridays or Saturdays at churches, public parks and school and library parking lots. Partnering with Interfaith are Fox Valley Park District, Calvary Church of Naperville and Blessings in a Backpack of Chicago.

Area families are invited. Admission is free. Identification is not required.

Food for 200 families is available on a first-come basis. Items distributed include granola bars, fruits and vegetables, peanut butter, pasta, pasta sauce, eggs, ground beef, cereal, applesauce, apple juice and box dinners. Additionally, laundry detergent, toilet paper, hand soap, kids band aids and hand sanitizer are distributed.

Dunnigan said patrons do not need to leave their vehicles to claim food. Pantry volunteers observing pandemic safety procedures load $100 bags of groceries into patrons’ vehicles.

Prior drive-thrus were held in Aurora, Oswego, Montgomery, Plano, Crest Hill and West Chicago.

Call (630) 692-3061, e-mail rdunnigan@aurorafoodpantry.org or visit www.aurorafoodpantry.org for more information.

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Al Benson

Freelance Photo-Journalist

Al Benson is an Aurora-based freelance photo-journalist. He is currently an archives research specialist at Aurora University. His work has appeared in The Voice, The Daily Herald, The Beacon-News, and the Chicago Tribune.