People's Resource Center opens new Westmont facility

WESTMONT – The People's Resource Center is moving on to bigger and better things, and opening its new Westmont location today.

The 13,000-square-foot office space is at 104 Chestnut Ave., across from Ty Warner Park.

The new location will offer a food pantry, clothes closet, computer literacy and art classes, job assistance and other social services. Resources will also continue to be available at the organization's Wheaton facility at 201 S. Naperville Road.

Executive Director Kim Perez said the new location was necessary because of an increase in clients.

"Since we opened [in Westmont], we've seen our numbers served … more than triple," she said.

When the original Westmont space opened in 2008, the facility served 300 people per month, Perez said – a number that has jumped to 1,000 people per month.

The old location had about 4,500 square feet – less than half that of the new one. The People's Resource Center purchased the new facility in October 2014.

"We're all just really excited. This is a huge accomplishment for us," Perez said.

She said some programs were sharing space, while others did not have a designated area.

It wasn't conducive to the needs of the organization, Perez said.

Linda Sobotka, a Westmont resident who has volunteered with the organization for seven years, said the clothes closet was one of the programs that didn't have a set space. Volunteers had to unpack everything and set it up in the lobby of the old building. The program ran for 90 minutes and clients only had five minutes to shop.

"It was a little crazy," Sobotka said.

She said she "can't wait" to move into the new facility, which she likened to moving from a one-bedroom house to an eight-bedroom house.

"It's going to be so much nicer for the people who come in," she said.

Bob Senicka, another volunteer from Westmont, has been with the organization since the original Westmont location opened. He said the old space was "just too small" and difficult to navigate.

"You have so much stuff in there, you're tripping over things," he said.

The People's Resource Center has raised more than $1.8 million in community donations to support the development of the new site, and hope to collect a total of $2.75 million.

Donations of food, clothing, computer equipment, books and art supplies are also being accepted.

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation recently named People’s Resource Center a 2014 Neighborhood Builder. As a result, the organization will receive $200,000 in flexible funding, which it will use to expand economic stability and employment service programs.