A look ahead: Illinois Valley Food Pantry eyes new facility as clients increase

Shaw Local staff members selected the stories that have made the biggest impact in 2024 and looked ahead at what’s next in 2025 for a year-in-review series.

Lance Korter still can picture the look on a little girl’s face when he handed her a birthday cake donated to the Illinois Valley Food Pantry.

“It was like I gave her a million dollars — I could tell by the look on her face,” he said.

Korter, who has been with the pantry for about five years and is a board member, said that is one of many moments that keeps him coming back to aid the community.

The Illinois Valley Food Pantry in La Salle has continued to see an increase in services. Executive Director Mary Jo Credi said last fiscal year the pantry saw a 55% increase — with a 5% jump this year.

“We are averaging about 500 families a month,” she said. “And it’s growing and it’s growing at a drastic rate.”

Credi said the the cost of living is the culprit. The pantry has seen an increase in new clients, including large families.

To keep up with the demand, the pantry has been looking for a new facility.

She said the food pantry would like to stay in the La Salle-Peru area because it’s centrally located and 60% of the pantry’s clientele are La Salle residents.

“We’re looking for about 6 to 6,500 square-feet, all one floor,” Credi. “A warehouse type with walk-in coolers.”

Credi said the coolers would have to be outside in order to maintain the square footage inside. The pantry has looked at properties in the area, but to maintain the health department and the pantry’s standards the pantry found it will be more cost effective to build.

“We are looking at a piece of land right now in the city of La Salle,” she said. “And we’re in negotiations.”

Credi said the pantry is looking at a little more than $1 million to build a new pantry and ideally she would love to be in that location by Thanksgiving of next year— but the pantry will need donations to help make a new building happen.

“We’re just saying we do a pretty good job in feeding your people and if you could help us that’d be great.”

—  Lance Korter, Illinois Valley Food Pantry board member

Koster said during Monday’s La Salle City Council meeting that the pantry can’t ask for donations when it doesn’t have a building yet.

However, right now the pantry is in dire need of funds to stay above water. The pantry went to the La Salle City Council on Dec. 9 to ask for $15,000 assistance annually and the council put the assistance on hold.

Credi said in 2020, La Salle donated $500 and they haven’t seen any money since.

“This is the Illinois Valley Food Pantry,” Korter said. “But it’s actually the La Salle food pantry. … If we are going to do this for your constituents then some reciprocation would be great because we suffer the same amount of increase in food as a regular person.”

The pantry served 3,000 meals to La Salle residents within the last fiscal year, he said. Taking into account the bundle the pantry gives each family with perishables and nonperishables would be about $50 — that is $150,000 spent on only La Salle residents in a fiscal year.

“So you know $15,000 is not a drop in the bucket,” Korter said. “But, it’s still cheap for what we do for the town. We’ll continue to do it … We’re just saying we do a pretty good job in feeding your people and if you could help us that’d be great.”

The La Salle City Council tabled the issue again on Monday, saying that while it was an important organization they wanted to see if they were able to budget a large donation.

Alderman Tom Ptak said the council felt with a large sum of money it should be looked at a little differently, such as where it would come from and if there is money available.

“The question was asked when is their next big event — Easter,” he said. “So, maybe we can buy a little time that we’ll still be in our fiscal period … obviously it’s a good cause, obviously there’s a need for it.”

Credi said the pantry lives on donations; as it has overhead as well, rent, utilities, garbage pickup and volunteers shop for food too just to keep the families that need it — keep food on their tables.

In this fiscal year so far, (September to November with Thanksgiving baskets included), the pantry has spent $35,500 on food. Last year, it spent $105,200.

The pantry handed out 359 Thanksgiving boxes and it made about 400 prepared for Christmas and handed out 250. The remaining food will be distributed throughout the year.

The pantry has increased its food spending since it began hosting a summer program to bridge the gap for families during the months the children are out of school and can’t benefit from the breakfast and lunch programs.

In 2020, when the pantry began the program, it spent $13,000 on the summer program — in 2024 it spent $92,000.

“We jumped from 252 kids in 2020 to 932 in 2024,” Credi said. “So, what really happened is people realized what we were doing …we just make sure the kids get some nourishment over the summer.”

Looking into next year, Credi said she would like to see less people needing the service.

“Unfortunately, most places if you’re busy that’s wonderful,” she said. “But, with us if we’re busy it’s sad. So, I would love to see this economy straighten up, where people can start taking care of themselves.”

The Illinois Valley Food Pantry is taking food donations, but monetary donations also are appreciated. To donate or for more information visit https://ivfoodpantry.com.