Improvements allow Kendall County Community Food Pantry to serve whole community

Alex Hurd knows there are people that struggle to meet the needs of everyday life.

“We’re trying to provide enough for people where they don’t have to feel so burdened about life,” said Hurd, the executive director of the Kendall County Community Food Pantry in Yorkville. “Because it’s hard when you’re trying to decide between buying groceries or paying the light bill.”

The pantry has been around for more than 40 years in different locations. It has been in its current location for about 11 years, Hurd said.

The Kendall County Community Food Pantry serves not only Kendall County, but DeKalb and La Salle counties as well. It serves an average of 450 families a week.

On April 16, the Yorkville Area Chamber of Commerce, Oswego Area Chamber of Commerce and Plano Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the pantry’s newly refurbished facility.

“We are trying to reduce the stigma of what it is to be in need for families,” Hurd said, in speaking to Chamber members and visitors. “Because you never know why families are in need. Somebody may have just lost their job or maybe they have a very sick member in their family and they just need additional resources. Sometimes we have families that use our resources for three weeks and sometimes we have families that use our resources for years.”

The pantry improvements include new shelving provided by Fox Valley Sandblasting Inc. In addition, United Slab Solutions replaced the flooring in the pantry’s inside shopping area.

Both projects were done at a nominal cost to the pantry.

“They gave us a wonderful deal,” Hurd said.

More improvements are on the way for the pantry. Last year, U.S. Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Naperville, presented the Kendall County Community Food Pantry with $763,500 in federal money secured though the congressional Community Project Funding initiative.

“We’re going to just be able to continue to improve upon what’s already been done,” Hurd said.

Improvements will include resurfacing the flooring in the pantry’s warehouse. The pantry’s flooring is currently uneven and poses a potential hazard.

“With our grant money, we’re going to do with this floor what we did to that floor,” Hurd told those touring the building. “This is the inventory side of the building.”

Other improvements include the installation of emergency pathway lighting and handicap entry doors and boosting the building’s energy efficiency through re-fixturing and installing LED lighting.

The Kendall County Community Food Pantry not only offers food assistance, it also offers pet food and supplies along with clothing and small household items.

“It’s not just a pantry – it’s a pantry plus," assistant director Dulce Vargas said.

Those needing food assistance have a variety of food options, including hamburgers and fish.

“Depending on inventory, sometimes you can have five pieces of protein,” Hurd said.

An average visit to the pantry will provide families with milk, fresh produce, meat, shelf-stable groceries, toiletries and household essentials.

For those who need medical help, there also is a doctor at the pantry.

“Obviously she doesn’t do surgery, but she can do diagnostics,” Hurd said. “She can do blood work. She can determine what your child has – is it strep throat or is it just the flu?"

The Kendall County Community Food Pantry couldn’t do what it does without community donations and its volunteers.

The pantry has 164 volunteers at any given time. Hurd pointed to a photo of Joan Siembieda, known as the “sugar lady.”

She volunteered at the pantry for more than 13 years before passing away last year.

“She would take out of her own pocket for Easter and Christmas to make sure that kids had sugar if they wanted to make Christmas cookies or Easter treats. When she passed away, her family said they wanted to keep that tradition going. They donated $10,000.”

During the ceremony, Vargas announced the pantry will hold its first ever fundraising gala. The gala will be from 6 to 10 p.m. May 31 at BrighterDaze Farm venue in Newark.

Tickets are available at the pantry’s website, kccfoodpantry.org. More information about the pantry, including how to donate items, is also on the website.