Elmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry receives grant

Elmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry (EYFP) has been awarded a grant from Endeavor Health’s 2024 Community Investment Fund (CIF).

This significant investment will bolster EYFP’s efforts to address food insecurity and enhance services for neighbors and children in need.

Founded in a small closet at the Yorkfield Presbyterian Church, EYFP has grown into a vital resource, currently serving more than 600 clients monthly from nine Chicago suburbs. The food pantry operates seven days a week with the help of 300 volunteers facilitating food distribution, mobile pantries and services at a low-income senior facility.

The grant from Endeavor Health will be instrumental in supporting the expansion of EYFP’s facilities, providing funding for the new 6,000 square foot warehouse. This space features a large walk-in cooler and freezer, increased storage capacity and areas for processing food drive donations and organizing supplies for mobile pantries and deliveries. The enhancement aims to optimize efficiency in storing, processing and distributing necessities to meet the growing demand for assistance in the local community.

“Elmhurst Yorkfield Food Pantry cannot begin to thank Endeavor Health enough for this amazing grant opportunity,” Christopher Rosenberg, president of EYFP board of directors said in a news release. “It could not come at a more opportune time. EYFP has experienced exponential growth over the past few years, putting tremendous strain on our existing facility and pushing our capacity to its limits. This funding allows us to expand our capacity and grow our services to the community. This grant will change lives today, tomorrow, and in the foreseeable future.”

Endeavor Health selected Elmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry as one of 43 local organizations across the Chicago area to collaborate on programs focused on behavioral health, violence prevention, housing and food insecurity, access to care and workforce development.

“Our Community Investment Fund has made a remarkable impact since its launch in 2022, touching over 211,000 lives and supporting a significant expansion of behavioral health counseling, bilingual health education and mobile medical services in our communities,” Kristen Murtos, chief innovation and transformation officer at Endeavor Health said in a news release. “At Endeavor Health, we are not just funders but conveners, bringing together diverse groups to cultivate collaboration and innovation.”

For more information about Elmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry and its mission to alleviate hunger by providing food, hope, and compassion to neighbors in need, visit https://www.eyfp.org/. To learn more about Endeavor Health’s Community Investment Fund, visit https://www.endeavorhealth.org/community/community-investment-fund