Food Pantry
WHAT WE DO
Since 1975,the People's Resource Center (PRC) has welcomed low-income DuPage residents by offering them complimentary services to meet their basic needs. Most visitors first come to utilize the PRC food pantry, and from there are connected to other services. After a short meeting with a trained volunteer, they are greeted by a food pantry volunteer and given a grocery cart. The PRC food pantry is full-choice and there is an abundance of food to choose from. Clients select the types of food their family eats, depending on health issues, culture and taste. By the time they fill their cart, they’ve received approximately $100 of fresh fruit and vegetables, frozen meat, bakery items, canned goods and non-perishable food items.
There are two PRC Food Pantry locations for our clients’ convenience:
201 S. Naperville Road
Wheaton, IL 60187
HOURS:Monday,Tuesday & Thursday 8:30am – 11:15am; 1pm- 2:45pm
Wednesday 6pm - 8pm
Saturday 9:00am – 11:45am
649 Blackhawk (off Plaza)
Westmont, IL 60559
HOURS:Tuesdays 1:00pm - 2:45pm
Wednesdays 8:30am - 11:15am
Thursdays 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Saturdays 8:30am - 11:15am
HOW WE DO IT
The PRC works in conjunction with the Northern Illinois Food Bank (NIFB) and purchases food at greatly reduced prices. This, in turn, stretches the buying power of our donor’s dollars. A box of cereal, for example, that costs $4 retail, can be purchased from the NIFB for less than $1. While $25 might not get you much at a grocery store, PRC can purchase enough groceries to feed a family for a week.
The PRC is also fortunate to have generous support from local grocery stores, community groups, schools and churches, who supply us with both food and monetary donations. In addition, the government donates free food in the form of USDA commodities.
IMPACT
Last year, 7,771 hungry DuPage County families received food from People's Resource Center food pantries. This equaled 35,514 filled grocery carts or 2.3 million pounds of food.
YOU CAN HELP
Financial DonationThrough our partnership with the NIFB you can triple, even quadruple, your donation by giving a monetary gift to People’s Resource Center. A $25 donation can purchase $75 - $100 worth of food.
Donate NowIn-KindFood donations, diapers, personal goods, and cleaning supplies are always needed. For a complete list see
our critical needs list. At our main site in Wheaton, we have a walk-in refrigerator and freezer capacity—we always need fresh and frozen foods! Contact Melissa, PRC Director of Food Services at 630/682-5402 ext. 228 with any questions.
VolunteerWe need volunteers Monday through Saturday to fill a variety of jobs. Helping families select food, stocking shelves, unloading delivery trucks, accepting donations, and picking up food at local retailers are just some of the help we need. Complete our
Volunteer Application Form .
VICTORS OF CIRCUMSTANCE
People turn to the PRC, often victimized by the circumstances that they find themselves in, through no fault of their own. Take Raymond. He is a fiercely proud man who has provided for his family all of his life. After losing his job because of a factory closure, his life changed, and he found himself needing a helping hand. He came to the PRC food pantry when he was unemployed and the food assistance he received helped his family make ends meet until he found another job. “Not having to buy groceries that week made it possible for me to pay our rent on time, and that was a huge relief,” said Raymond.
On behalf of Raymond and his family, we thank our generous donors.