New Food Pantry Secures Lawrence Avenue Location

Two residents are one step closer to fighting hunger in Lincoln Square.

Heidi Bush and Meghan Gutierrez are opening a new food pantry and on Thursday, signed a lease for the soon-to-be Lincoln Square Friendship Center. With a brick-and-mortar location, the volunteers hope to be open in August.

The two envision a space decorated by local artists and students, with pet food and clothing also available to clients.

(See related: New Food Pantry to Help Lincoln Square's Hungry Population)

Formerly the Aden Seafood and Meat Market, the space at 2733 W. Lawrence Ave. is perfect for the pantry, Gutierrez said.

The 3,000 square-foot storefront already has a walk-in cooler, freezer and shelving for food storage. There’s also room for a common area, so clients don’t have to line up outside, Bush said.

The Friendship Center plans to cultivate just that; those using the facility can chat before picking up food while having coffee and snacks. 

“The location is great too; it’s on the bus line and by the 'L,'" Gutierrez said. "We were getting really discouraged finding a place.”

With high rent and locations that required extensive build-outs, the two enlisted the help of local realtors and contractors.

Contractor Chuck Bundrick and realtors Charles Greco and Fred Caffey all volunteered their time in finding the right location for the food pantry.

“They were looking all over and calling places and were really enthusiastic about helping out,” Bush said. 

And those three weren’t the only ones to help out; the Friendship Center has more than 200 people on a volunteer email list, but still needs community support to become a reality. 

Here’s how residents can contribute:

Donate Items:

• Large round table and chairs
• Large folding tables
• Paint supplies
• Cleaning supplies
• Decorations
• Bookshelves
• Stereo
• Coffee mugs
• Money

Volunteer Time:

Cleaning days at the site: June 7 and 10 starting at 6 p.m.

Organizers will donate to the LSFC for staffing volunteers at these local festivals. Email lincolnsquarefc@gmail.com to sign up:

• Ribfest: June 8 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Need 10-15 volunteers
• Square Roots: July 12 from 6 to 10 p.m. Need 25 volunteers for a $750 grant
• Hunger Walk: June 29 Each person to walk with the Friendship Center will earn a $12 in credit from the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Participants can also fundraise for a matching grant from Thrivent Financial—up to $1,600.

Join Patch for more neighborhood news and follow us on Facebook and Twitter!