POWER Connection in Bolingbrook Serves the Public with Food and Clothing

Back in 2003, Jerry Basel, a staff member at Living Water Community Church saw a need in the community for job training. He saw a large number of people who wanted to work, but lacked the training for a good job.
Today, the POWER Connection, which stands for Providing Opportunities for Work, Education and Retraining, still helps in offering job training. They also offer a food pantry and a clothing pantry.

Donna Niven, of Bolingbrook, is a volunteer at the organization. She began as a client of POWER Connection. She found the facility when she lost her job and needed to use the organization's food pantry.

"It really changed my perception on giving," she said.

POWER Connection is different than most food pantries because they do require income verification to use their services. Individuals need to be Illinois residents, but that is the only requirement. Additionally, instead of offering the same items to every client, the organization allows individuals to select the items they are going to use.

"We want (clients) to shop with dignity and get what they want," Niven said.

There are two food pantries. The large food pantry is open the second and fourth Mondays of the month from 1 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. The large food pantry is a $20 donation to shop. Clients can choose from tables full of non-perishable items (soup, cereal, soy, baking goods, condiments, drinks, tortillas, sauces), produce, vegetables, fruit, baked goods, breads, frozen meat, sweets and more, the POWER Connection Web site states.

"Most individuals leave with a full grocery cart with between $250.00 and $275.00 worth of food," the site states.

POWER Connection also has a smaller food pantry called the Extention Food Pantry. That pantry is open Monday (except 2nd & 4th Monday when the large pantry is open), Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon and Thursday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

"We are open on Thursday evening because sometimes you have a single mom and she cannot come during the day," Niven said.

The extension food pantry is a $10 donation to shop. Shoppers who cannot afford the donation will have a bag prepared for them.

For more information on the food pantries, which are accessed through the rear doors at 999 Remington Blvd., Suite F, in Bolingbrook, call 630-679-6898.

In addition to providing food, the organization runs a clothing pantry. The pantry is open from 10 a.m. to noon Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and also from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. The clothing pantry is also open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. the second and fourth Monday of the month.

The clothing pantry operates as a thrift store in that community members can shop the store and pay the price listed on the tags. In this way, the clothing pantry supports the POWER Connection.

"We've got to do a lot of fundraising to keep the doors open," Niven said.

The POWER Connection also donated items from the clothing pantry to those in need.

"Individuals who are referred to us because of an urgent need will be able to receive what ever items we have that would assist them in their time of need," The POWER Connection Web site states.

For more information on the clothing pantry, you can contact Maryann at 630-679-6897.

Have you or someone you know used POWER Connection? Tell us about it in the comments.