Kane County nonprofits gather to nourish the community and spread kindness

What one thing in this world brings people together like nothing else?

If you’re thinking Taylor Swift—well, maybe a close second.

The correct answer is food, the universal language no one on the planet can live without.

Whether it’s a bowl of rice, a plate of spaghetti or a slice of pizza, we gather together to take part.

Local charities know this, and have crafted creative ways to bring communities together, both on the receiving and giving ends. From food banks to community gardens, to cooking classes and fun fundraisers, they make it possible for people to join with one another to help fill empty bellies with healthy food.

“Our cooking classes are the biggest way that we draw the community in,” says Jami McKenna, operations manager and board member at Charity Blooms community garden, a nonprofit grower in Aurora. The tucked-away, quarter-acre plot is full of more than 100 types of produce, planted and cared for by volunteers who congregate to weed, harvest and distribute the farm-fresh food to Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry across the street.

“Anybody from anywhere can sign up for our cooking classes and it’s completely free,” says McKenna. The classes use in-season produce to help people learn to grow, harvest and prepare healthy meals. Charity Blooms also hosts seed exchanges and kids’ planting tables.

“It takes so many coming together to feed our neighbors,” says Colleen Ahearn, chief philanthropy officer of the Northern Illinois Food Bank, which encompasses 13 counties, including Kane. In the last year, 78,000 people were served 12.7 million meals in Kane County alone. The need has grown by 2,000 neighbors and 800,000 meals over the past year.

With recent government funding cuts leaving a $3 million to $4 million gap, people have rallied even more to help feed the hungry through a community response fund. Volunteers collect food, sort it, pack it and distribute it to food bank locations and mobile markets. And they are a diverse group, says Ahearn. “We’ve had people ranging from corporate groups, schools, teenagers, and retired folks who volunteer on a regular basis.”

Local charities also bring the community together with fun events, like the Food Bank’s recent Smash Hunger Classic Pickleball Tournament fundraiser and Charity Blooms’ free annual fall fest. “We sit about 300 pumpkins on the property and transform the garden into a haunted farm,” says McKenna. “Just come in, play games and get your face painted.”

The results of all these “coming togethers” are palpable. “We hear stories every week from people who have good news to share,” says Ahearn, noting one woman, whose husband was already out of work, who lost her job. The food bank sustained them until they found jobs and were eventually able to buy a home. “When people have the food they need, they’re able to focus on getting their life back to where they want it to be so that they can thrive,” says Ahearn.

For assistance or to volunteer, contact these local charities: