Move to Lake Forest helps Northern Illinois Food Bank keep pace with growing demand

LAKE FOREST – The Northern Illinois Food Bank’s relocation to Lake Forest couldn’t have come at a better time.

Since moving its North Suburban Center to a facility almost triple the size of a previous Park City location, the food bank has faced a growing demand for services.

In the past year, the number of volunteers at the Lake County facility have doubled and the meal distribution program has grown at least 30%, said Hester Bury, development officer for Corporate and Foundation Giving at Northern Illinois Food Bank.

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Carson Young, 16, of Antioch works with his mother, Susan, labeling cans of green beans and boxing them up at the Northern Illinois Food Bank on August 19th in Lake Forest. The North Suburban Center recently celebrated it’s one-year anniversary at this location. Photo by Candace H. Johnson for Shaw Local News Network (Candace H.Johnson)

“Unfortunately, we have seen a big increase [in demand] over the last year really partly because of inflation, rising food prices and other living expenses,” she said.

In Lake County, the food bank serves almost 100,000 people a month through a network of about 200 food pantries and programs, as well as an online food pantry at My Pantry Express (www.mypantryexpress.org). In all, the food bank served 13.3 million meals this past year.

“People are struggling,” Bury said. “Even though there are jobs out there, often they’re part-time jobs or minimum wage jobs and not enough for people to make ends meet.”

Raising awareness of the growing demand for both donations and volunteers, the Northern Illinois Food Bank recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of its North Suburban Center’s relocation to 13950 W. Business Center Drive in Lake Forest.

The Aug. 16 event included a recognition of U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, who has supported the center and helped secure $750,000 in appropriations funding for the facility.

“Neighbors in Lake County are able to count on this facility to put meals on the table – 13.3 million meals a year,” Schneider said. “The Northern Illinois Food Bank is a part of something really special. In requesting funding for this facility, I was able to stand on two solid legs because of the incredible difference the food bank makes in our community – the difference between people going to bed full or fed.”

The Aug. 16 event also served as a way to acknowledge and celebrate the facility’s about 3,800 volunteers this past year – about 2,000 more than the previous year. The 28,000-square-foot facility allowed the North Suburban Center to accommodate more volunteers than ever before.

“If we have more volunteers, we can process more food and get it out to our agencies and then to our neighbors,” Bury said.

The limited size of the previous facility allowed the center to run only one project at a time, she said. Now, food can be distributed, sorted and packed at the same time.

The improved efficiency has allowed the center to keep pace with a growing demand for online orders – about 200 orders a week delivered to those who are unable to get to local food pantries, Bury said.

Launched in 2019, My Pantry Express has helped the food bank better serve those who find it difficult or impossible to stand in lines and carry food back home, such as seniors and those with disabilities. It also serves those with little time juggling parenting and work demands or who might feel embarrassed to seek out need.

According to the Northern Illinois Food Bank, factors contributing to higher numbers of food-insecure neighbors include the decrease in government emergency benefits, inflation and rising prices for food, gas and other household necessities.

“The center really has helped us meet the increased need over the last year and will continue to help us meet that need,” Bury said.

Volunteers have stepped up to help, but more are needed for the following shifts: 9 to 11:30 a.m. Tuesdays, 1 to 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, 1 to 3:30 p.m. Thursdays and 9 to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays. To sign up for a volunteer shift, visit https://solvehungertoday.org/how-to-help/volunteer/.

“It’s my happy place,” said Linda Nordin of Lake Forest, a volunteer supervisor for the North Suburban Center.

Retired, Nordin began volunteering several years ago. She and her husband, John, both supervised at the center’s previous location and moved with it to Lake Forest. She volunteers three days a week.

“You meet wonderful people there. Everybody is there for a good cause and it’s very satisfying to do the work we’re doing because we know we’re helping people and there’s such a big need. It’s not going away. It’s only getting worse. We’re serving more people all the time even without the pandemic going on.”

Inspired by a coworker and friend to volunteer, Kirstin Berdelman of Highland Park tried it out a couple of times and plans to make volunteering a weekly routine.

An “empty-nester,” she said she enjoys the energy and the people.

“The cause is wonderful,” she said. “There’s something different to do every time you go.”