Glen House Food Pantry encourages community aid during Hunger Action Month

The Glen House Food Pantry has a full slate of activities planned for Hunger Action Month in September to engage the community in solutions to help solve food insecurity.

Hunger Action Month is an annual campaign launched by food bank network Feeding America that unites the country in raising awareness about hunger.

Festivities will kick off with an opening celebration Sept. 5 at Glen House Food Pantry, 55 N. Park Blvd., in Glen Ellyn. During this celebration, Glen Ellyn Village President Mark Senak will proclaim September as Hunger Action Month, the pantry will honor past executive directors, and Faith Lutheran Church senior pastor Shelly Satran will bless the pantry’s new refrigerated van.

The pantry has already welcomed more than 300 new families in 2024, so securing enough essential groceries to serve the community is vital. Food drives have become an important way for residents to make a difference. In September, the pantry will benefit from the following drives:

• State Rep. Terra Costa Howard’s office, 913 Main St., Lombard, will collect the contents required for the pantry’s birthday bag program including cake mixes, frosting, birthday plates, napkins and candles.
• Glen Ellyn Park District’s Ackerman Sports & Fitness Center, 800 St. Charles Road, has expanded its monthly food drive from one to four days from Sept. 23-26.
• The pantry’s new refrigerated van will be featured at the Glenbard West High School homecoming parade on Sept. 28, during which donations will be collected via shopping carts following the van on its route through Glen Ellyn.

There are also several opportunities for the community to learn about pantry issues and programs, including:

• An online challenge quiz provides an element of gamification with one person winning a prize among all those who complete the quiz from Sept.1-30, regardless of their score.
• University of Illinois Extension is offering a free cooking class for pantry clients on Sept. 18 called “Healthy Cents…What is Healthy Food and How Can I Afford it?”
• An additional pantry orientation has been added to the calendar, so orientations will be offered on Sept. 11 and 25.

For more information on these activities, visit glenhousefoodpantry.org.