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.

Produce this Saturday, April 5, 2014

Food Pantry Hours: Every Saturday 9 - 11 a.m.
The first three Saturdays of the month, the SLCC food pantry offers fresh produce. April 5 is the first Saturday of the month. We never know what kind of produce we’ll be offering until the morning it is delivered. In the past, we’ve had apples, oranges, lettuce, onions, potatoes, pears, cucumbers, carrots, and more. Clients are welcome to take as much produce as they can carry. We have produce bags, but clients should feel free to bring their own grocery bags, if they have them.

All clients will receive a bag of nonperishable food items

Along with the fresh produce, clients will also receive a bag of nonperishable food items. And while they last, sandwiches and salads courtesy of Pret A Manger.

Salads and sandwiches, while they last, from Pret A Manger

Food, Clothes, and Produce this Saturday

Volunteers help prepare grocery bags
for distribution.

On Saturday, March 15, 2014, the SLCC Food Pantry will be distributing food and produce. We will also be distributing clothes and accessories for men, women, and children via the Clothes Ministry. Clothes are distributed the 2nd and 3rd Saturday of each month.

Produce is distributed on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Saturdays of every month. We never know exactly what type of produce we will have in advance, but we get is fresh and nutritious. We generally get a mix of fruits and vegetables, including carrots, apples, onions, pears, lettuce, and oranges. Clients can help themselves to as much produce as they can carry. Any produce left over is picked up by Pacific Garden Mission.

Non-perishable food items are pre-packed in grocery bags. Clients pick up a bag and are then given the protein available that particular week. We often have sausage, beef patties, and deli meat for distribution. Most clients will also receive day-old bread products from Mariano’s supermarket. Many will receive fresh sandwiches or salads from Pret-A-Manger as well.

Leftover produce is donated to Pacific Garden Mission.

We have a limited supply of toiletry items for clients with special needs or requests.

If you have any questions regarding the food pantry or would like to volunteer, please call 312.566.9076 or e-mail the church at southloopcommunitychurch@gmail.com

SLCC Food Pantry is a member agent of the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

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.