South Loop Food Pantry looks for volunteers

To download a flyer, click here.

South Loop Community Church Food Pantry, 1347 S. State St., is looking for volunteers to help with their food pantry and clothes closet ministries. The church will be holding a brief introduction meeting on volunteer opportunities, Wednesday July 16, 2014 at 7:15 p.m.

In operation for over two years, the food pantry serves between 85 and 100 walk-ins every week. If you’re looking for a way to serve or give back to your community, volunteering at the food pantry might be for you. The food pantry needs volunteers on Saturday mornings, when food distribution takes place, as well as during the week to help with accepting food deliveries and restocking shelves.

Food distribution is every Saturday, 9-11 a.m. Three times a month, the pantry also offers fresh produce.
The clothes closet distributes clothes and accessories for men, women, and children twice a month. The clothes closet operates the second and third Saturdays of every month during the food distribution. After food pantry clients get their food, they can look at clothing.

The food pantry has partnered with local businesses, like Overflow Coffee Bar, Marianos, Pret A Manger, and Urban Remix, and community organizations like Greater South Loop Association (GSLA). The GSLA contributed $1000 to the help the pantry buy turkeys last year for Thanksgiving baskets.

For more information, visit the church’s Web site or contact them via e-mail at southloopcommunitychurch@gmail.com or call the church office at 312.566.9076.

For a look at how the food pantry operates, check out this post from local South Loop blogger Bonnie McGrath.

Happy New Year from the SLCC Food Pantry!

We’re looking forward to serving the South Loop and Chicago communities in 2014. We’re very grateful for all the volunteers through the year, as well as the businesses and organizations that have assisted us.

This Saturday, January 4, 2014, we’ll be distributing food and fresh produce from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Christmas Toy Store

Volunteers get gifts ready for the toy store.

This year we had a Christmas Toy Store for two weeks during the operation of the food pantry. We had new toys for girls and boys for modest prices, many well below their original cost. The prices for toys ranged from a low of $1 to a high of $5; no toy was priced higher. Customers were able to buy up to five gifts during one visit to the toy store. We also had gift-wrapping available for those who requested it. We were delighted to have people from the neighborhood volunteer to help at the toy store, including several members of the Greater South Loop Association board. The GSLA helped us provide turkeys and fixings for our Thanksgiving food distribution by giving the pantry a generous donation of $1000. We distributed 120 turkeys on November 23, 2013.

Gift wrapping was available at the toy store.

Thank you, neighbors!
Thanks to Overflow Coffee Bar—Overflow has been a partner with the food pantry from the very start. Their have a food donation basket has been a constant source of nonperishable food items throughout the year. They just don’t sell great coffee, they’re great neighbors.

We also want to thank our wonderful volunteers. We have a regular group of volunteers from the surrounding area, including the folks from the Loop Church. Located at the Daystar Center, their members have been very generous with their time and donations of food—they help that food pantry basket at Overflow, well, overflowing! We also want to thank our regular volunteers from South Loop Community Church, the high school and college students, as well as the many folks that help us behind the scenes working with the Greater Chicago Food Depository, placing orders and keeping a check on inventory. A special thank you goes to food pantry coordinator, Rosa Ellis.

Clothes Ministry
We also want to thank those who help with the clothes ministry that operates during food pantry hours on the second and third Saturdays of the month. The clothes ministry offers clothes and accessories, free of charge, for men, women, and children. We want to extend a big thank you to clothes ministry coordinator Daisy Bell for all her hard work.

Daisy Bell and Rosa Ellis pose in front of some of the toys available at
the Christmas Toy Store.

Volunteer opportunities

We’re always in need of volunteers. There are opportunities to help during food distribution and with food deliveries during the month. If you think you’d like to volunteer, please click on the tab that says “Donate & Volunteer” at the top of the page.

Thanksgiving Turkey distribution November 23, 2013

South Loop Community Church Food Pantry will be distributing frozen turkeys on November 23, 2013 during normal food distribution hours, 9 – 11 a.m. One turkey will be given to each household while they last. Along with the turkeys, we’re planning on including some Thanksgiving sides like cranberry sauce and stovetop stuffing. To make sure that our clients aren’t disappointed, we need your help. If you can donate nonperishable items that would be appropriate for a Thanksgiving celebration, please drop them off at SLCC, 1347 S. State St. during normal business hours Monday through Friday. You may also drop off items at Overflow Coffee Bar at 1550 S. State St. If you have any questions, please call 312. 566.9076 or e-mail Rosa Ellis @ellislaine@sbcglobal.net.

Food Pantry Update

Twice a month the SLCC Food Pantry
distributes clothes for free during food distribution.

The SLCC Food Pantry is going strong. Since March 2012, we have been providing 100 families and individuals, on average, with good, nutritious food every week.

Now distributing clothes
A few months ago, we started distributing clothes, along with our food distribution on the second and third Saturdays of the month. The response to the clothes has been very positive. We have clothes and accessories for men, women, and children. And like the food, they are given away free of charge.

Neighborhood support
We continue to receive support from the local South Loop community. Donations dropped off at Overflow Coffee Bar, continue to amaze us. Almost every week, there are donations of food and health and beauty items. We are often asked for items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, and deodorant, so these donations are greatly appreciated. Overflow Coffee Bar has been very gracious. They’ve also been generous to us with their own resources, making monetary donations on several occasions.

Get ready for the Bash on Wabash
Once again, Greater South Loop Association will be giving us a portion of the gate donation at the annual Bash on Wabash street festival. Last year, we received a donation of $500 which enabled us to buy turkeys and hams for Thanksgiving distribution last year. This year’s Bash is August 24 and 25. The Bash will have live music, food, as well as an area for kids. For more information on the Bash, please visit the GSLA or the Bash on Wabash Web sites.

The SLCC Food Pantry is open every Saturday from 9 a.m to 11 a.m.

For information on how you can donate to and/or volunteer at SLCC Food Pantry, please click on the “Donation and Volunteer Opportunities” tab at the top of the page. 

New Year, new challenges, new thanks

Student volunteers interact with food pantry clients

With January winding down, the SLCC Food Pantry is thankful for how far we’ve come in a relatively short time. This March will mark the pantry’s first-year anniversary. The pantry serves those in need, in the South Loop with nourishing food, every Saturday, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. When we took on the challenge of serving the community on a weekly basis, we weren’t sure how we were going to do it. We had a limited budget and few volunteers.

Sandwiches and salads donated by Pret A Manger

We took a leap of faith. We survived that first week, and the next, and the next. More people started to volunteer. People and organizations started donating food and money. Students from area high schools and colleges started asking if they could volunteer. Businesses like Pret A Manger, Panera Bread, and Dunkin’ Donuts provided us with day-old food items. Local community organization, Greater South Loop Association provided us with funds to purchase turkeys and hams for distribution during the holidays. Local business, Overflow Coffee Bar donated a percentage of their sales to the pantry. Overflow’s biggest contribution, however, was acting as a food drop-off locations. Patrons of Overflow have donated pounds of food almost ever week for months, which has been an enormous help and encouragement. We even had a visit from local food truck entrepreneur, GiGi’s Bake Shop!

Bags of food and volunteers at the ready

As we get closer to our anniversary date, we’re looking to expand our outreach by offering clothing (a need for some of our clients) along with food. More about this in the future.

The South Loop Community Church Food Pantry wants to give a big “thank you” to our friends and neighbors for helping us along the way!

To find out how you can help, please click on the “Donation and Volunteer Opportunities” tab above.

Neighborhood organization and local business contribute to pantry

Neighbors helping neighbors
The Greater South Loop Association and Overflow Coffee Bar have contributed funds for the South Loop Community Church Food Pantry. The GSLA donated $500 from entry donatations taken in during the 2012 Bash on Wabash. Overflow Coffee Bar donated a percentage of sales from their Ten Thousand Villages items they sell and feature every Saturday at the coffee bar. Since the food pantry operates with a very small budget, provided by South Loop Community Church,

donations are really appreciated and necessary for us to provide nourishing food to those in need in the South Loop.







Give thanks
Next time you’re at Overflow Coffee Bar or attend a GSLA meeting, please thank them for supporting the food pantry. You can find the GSLA and Overflow on Facebook and Twitter. Here are their respective links: GLSA on Facebook, Twitter; Overflow on Facebook, Twitter.

“Good Neighbors”: Overflow Coffee Bar

Do you love the South Loop? T-shirts on
sale at Overflow Coffee Bar

Overflow Coffee Bar at 1550 S. State St. has been a supporter of the SLCC Food Pantry from the very beginning. They were the first establishment that agreed to put a food drop-off basket in their store. Owners Amanda and Brandon Neely and their customers have been very faithful in depositing nonperishable food items in that basket, every week, often to overflowing (hmm, that reminds me of a coffee shop in town).  


Business with a mission
Overflow’s mission is to change the world “one cup at a time” and they’re living out that mission on a daily basis. We can’t thank them and their customers enough for their generosity and good spirit towards us. When you’re in the neighborhood, stop into Overflow for a cup of coffee, a sandwich, pastry, t-shirt, and thank them for their support. We couldn’t do what we do without our “good neighbors.”

Partner Profile: Overflow Coffee Bar

Check out the plans Overflow Coffee Bar, one of our pantry partners, has. Their motto is “changing the world, one cup at a time.” They’re moving one step closer to their mission. Check out the video to learn more.

Please support Overflow Coffee Bar as they support us. They’ve allowed SLCC Food Pantry to put a nonperishable food donation basket in their store. Their generous customers have donated food items every week that have helped those in need. When you order a cup of coffee (or tea) at Overflow, you can feel good about your purchase.

If you would like to donate items to the food pantry, please stop by Overflow Coffee Bar at 1550 S. State St.

Help Us Keep These Shelves Full

One of several shelves at the SLCC Food Pantry

We need help keeping our food pantry shelves full. Every Saturday, we distribute food to those in need, which requires us to constantly purchase more food from the Greater Chicago Food Depository. The SLCC Food Pantry purchases food from the GCFD, generally, two times a month. The GCFD does a great job providing food pantries with nourishing food at a reasonable cost. Even, so, our budget for food purchases only goes so far.

How Can You Help?
You can help us serve those in need in the South Loop and Chicago by donating nonperishable food items. The next time you’re in the supermarket and see a two-for-one or Ten-for-$10 sale, please consider putting one item aside for the food pantry. To see a list of suggested donation items (including items like toothpaste, soap, and shampoo), click on the “donation and volunteer opportunities” tab.

Convenient Drop-Off Locations
We have four drop-off locations around the South Loop: 2nd Ward Alderman’s Office, Donna’s Café, Overflow Coffee Bar, and Urban Re-Mix. To find the exact adresses and normal business hours for these locations, please click on the “drop-off locations” tab above. And please thank these businesses for being good neighbors. I’m sure they would love your patronage as well!

Food Distribution Continues

SLCC Food Pantry Volunteers

Once again, the SLCC provided food for those in need. Last Saturday (April 7) and today (April 14) we were able to provide clients with nourishing food, including frozen whole chickens, spinach, and onions. Thanks to our drop-off partners (Overflow Coffee Bar and Urban Re-Mix) and Panera Bread, we were able to provide additional food items.


Donated Food Items
Most of the food donated at our drop-off locations goes on the “client choice” table. After receiving bags of food, bread, and frozen meat, clients can choose up to three items from that table. One week we might have several jars of peanut butter and jelly. Another week, we might have pasta, tomato sauce, and canned chili.

Volunteers serve clients on April 7, 2011.

New Drop-Off Location
Donna’s Café, 1255E S. State St., is the latest place to donate nonperishable food. When you stop in to get a cup of coffee or a sandwich, you can drop off a can of soup or a box of pasta. Thanks, Donna for supporting the SLCC Food Pantry.

Bread, Chickens, and Crackerjack

Food Pantry volunteers help a guest (second from right)
with some food parcels

This Saturday (March 31, 2012) the SLCC Food Pantry had volunteers passing out food to residents of Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood. Once again, we had a generous donation of bread from Panera, via the 2nd Ward Alderman’s office. We also had whole frozen chickens and thanks to another donation, we even had Crackerjack to distribute to those who wanted it.

The SLCC Food Pantry is open every Saturday 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

Happy Anniversay Overflow Coffee Bar
Boy, did that year go by fast? Overflow Coffee Bar is a community-minded coffee shop that is helping SLCC Food Pantry by serving as a donation drop-off point. Nonperishable food items dropped off at Overflow have been distributed to those in need in our neighborhood. Celebrate Overflow’s anniversary by stopping by for a cup of fair trade coffee. Be sure to thank them for being good neighbors in the South Loop.

Whole frozen chickens were distributed Saturday.

More Drop-off Locations
Besides Overflow, you can drop-off nonperishable food items for the SLCC Food Pantry at the 2nd Ward Alderman’s Office and Urban-Remix. You may also drop-off food items at SLCC’s facility during normal business hours during the week. To make sure there is someone to receive your contributions, we recommend you call each drop-off location before you make your visit.

For a complete list of drop-off locations, including contact information, please click on
the “Food Drop-Off Locations” tab.