Food Pantry Feeds More Than Hungry Bodies

A local nonprofit organization you should know

At Christ Church we are committed to supporting organizations that make a positive impact on our communities. This article is the third in a series highlighting a few of our nonprofit partners – all of whom are focused on creating positive change in the world. We support 90 such organizations throughout the world, many of which are within the Chicago metropolitan area.

Oak Brook, Illinois – In a region where many midwestern-based Fortune 500 companies thrive, DuPage County still amasses a population with more than 6 percent living at or below the poverty level, according to last U.S. Census.

In 2004 Christ Church created a food pantry team because there were no Saturday food pantries located in eastern DuPage County. The only one in the county was in Wheaton, which created a logistics issue for people with transportation difficulties and who needed to work during the pantry hours.

Recognizing this community need, volunteers with Christ Church in Oak Brook received training on how to operate a food pantry from the People’s Resource Center, then in partnership with the Salvation Army, set out to help as many people as they could, leading to more than 60,000 people being served with food, clothing and other resources.

“It was started by a group of individuals at Christ Church who felt a heart for people in need in our community who were struggling,” said Doug Nelson, one of the Food Pantry founders. “It started just with food, prayer and Bibles. A couple years later we added the clothing.”

Founding members of the Christ Church food pantry team believe that regardless of the size of a church, it still should be a local church serving its surrounding communities.

Located in Oak Brook Terrace, the Salvation Army Food Pantry is supported by a team of volunteers from Christ Church, and it coordinates efforts for donated items received by Christ Church, the Salvation Army and local food distributors like Jewel.

On Wednesdays before the Saturday distribution day, volunteers meet to load supplies on a truck en route to the Salvation Army, which then transform its gym into a professional food pantry for the community.

“On Saturday we pick up the perishable items: meat and fresh produce. One thing we have learned is that when budgets get tight for families the first thing that gets cut is the fresh produce, so we make it a point that we’re going to have fresh produce for everybody every month,” Nelson said. “It’s really neat that the church has stepped up in a big way. We treat this as a ministry and not a social-service opportunity.”

To learn more about the food pantry or get involved, visit ChristChurch.us/FoodPantry. Donations can be made by contacting 630.654.1882.

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About Christ Church: Founded in 1965, Christ Church is a multisite, nondenominational church in the Chicago suburbs with more than 6,000 members. Christ Church features a variety of inspiring worship options including classic, classic communion and contemporary services. All people are offered the opportunity to build life-changing relationships with God and one another. The church offers a rich range of spiritual growth resources and a selection of service ministries aimed at creating positive change in the world. Weekend services are held at our locations in Oak Brook and Lombard (formerly Downers Grove), as well as via livestream at ChristChurch.us/online. For more information, visit ChristChurch.us.