The Outreach House, a Lombard nonprofit, has expanded its service area to broaden its reach beyond the current borders of York Township to serve several surrounding towns and villages including Lombard, Villa Park, Oak Brook, Oakbrook Terrace, Elmhurst, Downers Grove, Glen Ellyn, Westmont, Hinsdale, Glendale Heights and Addison.

The new service area will ensure more equitable and widespread access to food, clothing, diapers and utility assistance to residents across these towns, according to a news release.

“The past four years have been a period of incredible growth for The Outreach House,” Catherine Lynott, executive director, said in the release. “In response to this growth, and furthering our investment in our infrastructure, we moved into a larger facility in July 2025, nearly tripling our space, while also adding more staff members and volunteers.

“With our increased space, we feel ready to respond to the growing needs of our neighbors, especially as changes to SNAP begin impacting those in our community and the cost of diapers continue to rise.”

The expanded service area comes as more families face growing financial needs. Rising food and housing costs continue to make it harder for households to afford basic necessities. In addition, recent changes to eligibility for the federal food assistance program, SNAP, are expected to reduce the number of people receiving benefits.

More than 85,000 DuPage County residents are already food insecure, according to the Northern Illinois Food Bank. Demand for other essentials is also rising.

Diapers remain the most requested item at The Outreach House, and the National Diaper Bank Network reports that one in two families nationwide struggle to afford enough diapers to keep their babies clean, dry and healthy.

In the last two years alone, over 1,800 new guests sought help from The Outreach House. In 2025 the organization welcomed more than 24,000 unique visits to their facility and provided:

• Over 215,000 diapers to local families to ensure babies stay dry and healthy.
• 1.6 million pounds of food including fresh produce, meat, dairy and shelf-stable items. 
• $36,000 in utility disconnection notices so families could remain safe and comfortable in their homes.
• Over 10,000 visits for seasonably appropriate clothing, shoes and outerwear for the entire family. 

The Outreach House, located in Lombard, supports individuals and families in the community during times of vulnerability by addressing essential needs such as food, diapers, clothing and assistance with utility shut offs. Through its core programs including the food pantry, First Things First, Clothes Closet and walk -n assistance, the organization works to meet immediate needs while helping families regain stability, and does so with compassion, dignity and without judgement.

Community members can learn more about eligibility, hours and services by visiting them at Instagram (@theoutreachhouse), Facebook (The Outreach House) and LinkedIn (the-outreach-house). For more information, visit www.theoutreachhouse.org.