Area community members are hooked on giving back at a local restaurant’s popular Friday night fish fry.

Faranda’s Banquets, 302 Grove St., in DeKalb, has again invited patrons to gather during the Lenten season for good food for a good cause. Proceeds from the restaurant’s weekly Friday night fish fries are raising funds for a number of local nonprofits that serve residents in need.

Every Friday night through April 3, Faranda’s will host its Fish Fry and Community Fundraiser, offering weekly fish fry specials. Dinnertime is 4 to 8 p.m., and is open to all.

Christi Coulter, billing, marketing and fundraising supervisor for Elder Care Services – one of eight organizations benefiting from this year’s fundraiser – said they appreciate Faranda’s support.

“It means that our services that we provide to seniors in DeKalb County can remain in place,” Coulter said. “The funding that we received for services doesn’t always cover the cost of those services. Donations from places like Faranda’s fish fry help to support those efforts in helping seniors stay and remain in their home as long as possible.”

On Friday night, Faranda’s was serving up its latest weekly special: Mediterranean baked cod with homemade Mediterranean sauce.

Faranda’s owner Bill McMahon said the event is a great idea for anyone observing Lent leading up to Easter.

Lent is observed this year from Feb. 18 to April 2.

“This is the natural time to do it,” McMahon said.

When Faranda’s first began its fish fry dinners years ago, the idea was to recreate the nostalgia of a traditional fish fry out of a church basement.

McMahon mused about fish fry events and the community feeling they would have.

“It was really cool because people sat at long tables and you ended up ... sharing tables back then,” McMahon said.

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Diners hit the salad bar Friday, March 20, 2026, during the annual Lenten season fish fry at Faranda’s Banquets in DeKalb. The fish fries are 4 to 8 p.m. Fridays through April 3 at the banquet center and a portion of the procedes go to support multiple social service agencies in DeKalb County. (Mark Busch)

Faranda’s has since taken up the task of recreating that communal spirit. McMahon said he believes they’re pulling it off.

“We wanted to get that community feel back that we had kind of developed,” McMahon said.

On a typical Friday night at Faranda’s Fish Fry and Community Fundraiser, there may be about 200 or 300 patrons served.

When asked what makes the fish fry at Faranda’s so popular, McMahon said it’s simple.

“For some people, fish fries during Lent as they prepare for Easter are kind of a tradition,” McMahon said.

McMahon said the event has a special way of filling up the restaurant and banquet room facility.

Fish fry fundraiser dollars earmarked for Give DeKalb County

A 10% share of all proceeds from sales this year will go to support eight featured DeKalb County area nonprofits. They include Tails Humane Society, Opportunity House, Kishwaukee United Way, Safe Passage, Elder Care Services, We Care Pregnancy Clinic, and Newman Center/Christ the Teacher University Parish.

It all comes to a head as Give DeKalb County, the annual philanthropic event that supports nonprofits located in or serving DeKalb County, fast approaches.

McMahon said he plans to donate the contributions made through the fish fry fundraiser to Give DeKalb County this spring.

This way, every dollar that’s contributed gets matched.

McMahon said hosting the fish fry fundraiser means something special to him.

“These are all good people that are doing good work in our community,” he said.

Christine Kalina, development director for Safe Passage, said they appreciate the support of Faranda’s with the help in raising funds.

“It goes directly back into our operating expenses,” Kalina

Such funds, she said, go to clients for emergency purposes. Safe Passage is a crisis center and shelter for those facing domestic abuse and violence.

McMahon noted that representatives from Safe Passage usually make it a point to attend the fish fry events regularly.

“Safe Passage, in particular, has been great because they’ll come in every week with a table of 12 or 15,” McMahon said.

Kalina said she always looks forward to the Friday night fish fry at Faranda’s.

Kalina is a regular attendee of the Friday night fish fry at Faranda’s.

And it’s not too late to get in on the support while enjoying a good meal. Two more Friday Fry and Community Fundraiser events are planned for March 27 and April 3, which is Good Friday.

McMahon said he hopes to help make a difference.

“It is really about our community,” McMahon said.

Coulter encourages people to consider dining at Faranda’s.

“The fish is phenomenal,” Coulter said. “It’s a good community event. Usually, you’re seeing people that you haven’t seen in a while out there. A lot of times we’re seeing partner agencies that we work with out in the community, people that are representing them there.”

Kalina said it’s unbelievable to see the way the community shows its support.

“Together, we make a difference in our communities, especially in DeKalb County,” she said. “We are so lucky, all of our social services and nonprofits. We have so much to be grateful for. We have such a giving community.”