Chamber630: West Suburban Community Pantry Launches Virtual Pantry For On-Line Access To Food.

Press release from the Chamber630:

Sep 28, 2021

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 9/28/21Media contact:  Deb Newman, Deborah Newman Marketing/Communications 630-846-4759

West Suburban Community Pantry Introduces Virtual Food Pantryto Provide Convenient, Private, No-Cost Grocery Access

Innovative Online Grocery Service Breaks Down Barriers to Food Access

Woodridge, Illinois—West Suburban Community Pantry (WSCP) has officially launched its Virtual Food Pantry, a new service that makes it easy for people facing hunger to order free groceries online so they can make ends meet. Users can place a virtual order anytime by visiting VirtualFoodPantry.net where they can choose the groceries they need and select a grocery pickup time and place most convenient to them.  The launch coincides with the unveiling of the Pantry’s new website, www.wscpantry.org  designed to provide easy access to information for customers, donors and volunteers.

The Virtual Food Pantry provides free food assistance to residents of DuPage County, Bolingbrook and Romeoville, offering several grocery pickup locations across Chicago’s southwestern suburbs. The service offers community members a variety of food and grocery items, including fresh produce, pantry staples, household items, personal care products,  diapers and baby wipes, and more.

“If the pandemic has showed us anything, it’s that online access to shopping has made life easier for everyone. And everyone needs access to nutritious food for our community to truly be healthy and strong,” said Laura Traut-Coyle, Executive Director of West Suburban Community Pantry. “Yet many of our neighbors aren’t getting the nutrition they need.  The Virtual Food Pantry is making it easier for people struggling to get by as they juggle work, childcare, and other responsibilities to quickly access free groceries.  The Pantry is committed to eliminate hunger in our community. The Virtual Food Pantry is one way families can get help they need so they can face each day with confidence.”

Among the early users of the Virtual Food Pantry are families at B.J. Ward Elementary School in Bolingbrook.  Parents order groceries online and then pick up their orders at the school.  In addition to providing solid nutrition to help students learn, the program also helps connect families with other services available through Ward’s Community School model.

Alfred Morales, Administrator for Family and Community Engagement for the Valley View School District says using technology can be a challenge for some parents. “We’ve moved so much online- this is the way families check student grades, engage in remote learning, it’s become a way of life both in and out of school. Using the Virtual Pantry allows families to get more comfortable with technology and encourages them to access all kinds of resources available through the internet,”  he says. “Our families are very honest-they tend to order only when they truly need help-they’re not looking for a handout. If their circumstances improve, they don’t take food others can use. This is a very caring community.”

This press release was produced by the Chamber630. The views expressed here are the author’s own.