Birdhouse fundraiser to benefit Glen Ellyn Food Pantry

GLEN ELLYN – Those who stop by the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry on July 28 and 29 and purchase a handcrafted birdhouse or feeder will not only help feed some hungry birds, they also will help the pantry in its mission to feed the hungry in its communities.

The fundraiser will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 28 and 29 at the pantry, which is inside Grace Lutheran Church at 493 Forest Ave. in downtown Glen Ellyn.

This is the second year of the fundraiser. Last year's event raised almost $3,500 for the pantry, said Susan Papierski, executive director of the pantry.

"It was a huge success, and this year, we're hoping to make, obviously, as much as we can," Papierski said. "It's becoming a key fundraiser for us. These are extraordinary pieces. They are truly works of art and one of a kind."

Glen Ellyn resident Marcia Lamoureux, also known as "The Birdhouse Lady," made the birdhouses and feeders by hand and donated them to the pantry. All of the profits from the sale will go to the pantry, Papierski said.

The pantry is an ecumenical endeavor of 15 churches that cooperate in providing food and volunteers to serve people in need who live in Glen Ellyn and surrounding communities, including Wheaton, Carol Stream, Glendale Heights, Lombard and Lisle.

"And this year, we expanded to Addison and Bloomingdale," Papierski said. "We've expanded our boundaries to help more people. And we hope to be able to continue to do that."

The pantry serves 30,000 people a year, and it is on track to distribute about 900,000 pounds of food this year, she said.

The upcoming fundraiser also will serve as a way to educate the public on what the pantry does, Papierski said.

"We get volunteers from these kinds of events as well because people find out about who we are and where we're located and what we need," she said. "As always, food and other monetary donations are welcome."

There are other ways people can donate to the pantry. Those who attend the Friday night concert series through the summer at the McAninch Arts Center's Lakeside Pavilion are being urged to bring a nonperishable food item to benefit the food pantry.

"This is the first year that we've done that, and we're still, I think, in the process of making people aware that we're there and that they can bring food," Papierski said. "But the support so far has been wonderful."

The pantry is in need of such food items as canned tuna, applesauce, and white and brown rice, along with household items such as dish and bar soap, diapers, laundry detergent and toothpaste. A full list is available on the pantry's website, glenellynfoodpantry.org.

Cash donations also are accepted, and checks can be made payable to the Glen Ellyn Food Pantry.

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If you go

WHAT: Birdhouse and feeder fundraiser for Glen Ellyn Food Pantry

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 28 and 29

WHERE: Glen Ellyn Food Pantry at Grace Lutheran Church, 493 Forest Ave., Glen Ellyn

INFO: glenellynfoodpantry.org