The bitter winter months can be a challenging time for families to get by. Following the holiday rush, food pantries often see a dip in donations just when folks need it most.

At the Kendall County Community Food Pantry in Yorkville, the demand is high for food, clothes and money donations and families need consistency.

The pantry, located at 208 Beaver St., serves families from throughout the area.

Alex Hurd, executive director of the food pantry, said November through December tends to be the when people make the greatest donations, and unfortunately that activity dwindles from January through March.

“What we need is some level of consistency in terms of ongoing financial donations,” Hurd said. “It’s hard because people just finished the holidays. We always need ongoing community donations and food donations during the winter months before spring as well.”

Hurd said from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, many organizations allocate their year-end funds and donations and people throughout the community are in the spirit of giving.

Last year’s holiday season was particularly crucial because the number of families served began increasing by October when there was a freeze on SNAP benefits, Hurd said.

Numbers continued to spike through the end of the year, Hurd said

Numbers of families served in January have fluctuated. One week it went from a high of 441 families served to 380 families, then back up to 410 families again.

Families in need and people looking to donate are often deterred from coming out because of the cold, Hurd said. The pantry has a drive-through option where “people don’t have to come into the pantry and shop, they can actually just drive-up and receive food,” he said.

The pantry has a 24-hour donation door where people can drop-off canned goods and clothing.

The pantry, which is staffed by employees, volunteers, and community members who previously used the pantry, distributes food every Thursday with both in-person shopping and drive-through grocery services.

The pantry’s Clothing Closet is open on Mondays and Thursdays. The pantry also distributes pet food every other Thursday.

Hurd said he is extremely proud of the pantry’s children-focused welcome room, with a designated play area, blackboard, and donated books for kids to read and take home.

The non-profit hosts Facebook drives when they are low on specific items. Direct donations help the pantry buy weekly groceries and items directly from the Northern Illinois Food Band, which provides free produce, and “rescue stores” that provide meat and protein produce.

You can learn more by visiting, kccfoodpantry.org/, or by calling 630-553-0473.