Community Corner
New Loaves & Fishes Facility to Open Feb. 5
LOAVES & FISHES GRAND OPENING SET FOR FEBRUARY 5TH
The public is invited to attend the grand opening of Loaves & Fishes Community Pantry’s new food distribution and empowerment center on Saturday, February 5th.
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The festivities will begin at 8 a.m. with a ribbon-cutting presided over by Mayor A. George Pradel and members of the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce. Food distribution for the first clients will immediately follow, with an open house and tours of the 16,884-square-foot facility available from 1 to 5 p.m.
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The High Grove Lane facility more than doubles the capacity of the previous 8,000-square-foot leased space. With the additional room, Loaves & Fishes will offer a larger distribution center for its core food programs stocked with a wider variety of fresh and refrigerated foods available during greatly extended hours.
While expanded food programs are one of the amenities of the new facility, Loaves & Fishes is excited to debut the first of its
Pathways to Empowerment
programs. These life-transforming initiatives will help clients to achieve self-sufficiency by addressing the root causes of hunger through a proactive and preventative approach to food insecurity and poverty issues. On-site partnerships and collaborations with local and regional community organizations, individuals, and businesses will provide a convenient and holistic approach to client care.
The inaugural empowerment partnerships will be announced at the Grand Opening and include pathways to nutritional education, financial skills, mental health, and literacy.
One partnership already publicized is with the Internal Revenue Service through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. Open to all clients as well as any member of the community who declares less than $49,000 annually or is over the age of 60, the VITA program will provide free income tax assistance preparation.
The mission of Loaves & Fishes is to provide food and leadership in the community by uniting and mobilizing resources to empower people to be self-sufficient. The vision of Loaves & Fishes is ending hunger in our community.
