Aurora Food Pantry Gets Record Boost During Annual Holiday Food Drive

AURORA, IL — An Aurora food pantry will be able to help local families in need over the holiday season after a recent food drive resulted in more than 11,000 pounds of food being donated along with more than $100,000 in donations.

The Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry hosted its 15th annual Holiday Food Drive in November. By the time it was finished, the organization saw its most successful drive to date as community members donated 11,374 pounds of food and more than $115,000 in just three weeks, organizers announced this week.

The food pantry saw a staggering 91 percent increase in clients seeking food this fall from this time a year ago, food pantry officials said. The not-for-profit organization says it serves more than 1,000 local families each week who come to the pantry needing food to provide nutritious meals to families who struggle to know where their next meal is going to come from.

Inflation has driven up the cost of food and with some families still feeling the lingering effects of economic hard times and the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers of the food drive said this year’s efforts to help families in need could not have come at a better time.

“We put out a call to action, asking for help from our community, and people responded with kindness and generosity. The groceries and funds donated last month will ensure that no one is turned away from the pantry and that the holidays will be a bit brighter for thousands of our neighbors,” Shannon Cameron, executive director of AAIFP said in a news release.

In addition to collecting food, Dan Dolan, who created the food drive 15 years ago, also added another way for local residents to help their neighbors. Local residents were able to make a $15 donation to the food pantry’s website, which in turn, went to provide a virtual bag of groceries to assist local families.

The food pantry is still collecting donations, which can be made by visiting the organization’s website.

“Our community has truly listened to our pleas for help due to the increased need and the response is absolutely heartwarming,” Katie Arko, senior development director at AAIFP said in the news release.

Patch has partnered with Feeding America since 2020 to help raise awareness in our local communities of hunger, a persistent national problem exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeding America, which supports 200 food banks and 60,000 local meals programs across the country, estimates that nearly 34 million people, including 9 million children — about 1 in 6 Americans — are living with food insecurity. This is a Patch social good project; Feeding America receives 100 percent of donations. Find out how you can donate in your community or find a food pantry near you.