When a community comes together, we can do more than respond to hunger. We can meet the need before us, rise to this moment, and build a better future for our neighbors.
That is the vision behind Nourish Together, our new $15 million community campaign from Loaves & Fishes Community Services.
The campaign comes at a critical time. Food insecurity across our region has increased by more than 50 percent since 2019, affecting more working families, children and older adults.
As the largest food pantry in Illinois, Loaves & Fishes serves about 10,000 people each week through a hub and spoke model anchored by our Food Distribution Hub in Aurora and community-based distribution sites across the region, including our Grocery Market in Naperville. Nourish Together will build on that model by expanding Hub capacity, growing food access closer to where people live, and strengthening support for families so we can reach two to three times the number of neighbors in the years ahead.
First, Hub 2.0 will expand our Aurora Food Distribution Hub by 32,000 square feet, bringing it to 62,000 square feet total. More than a building expansion, it will create the capacity to distribute more healthy food, serve more neighbors, and strengthen collaboration with partner pantries through shared storage and co-buying opportunities.
From that expanded Hub, we will grow our spoke network to bring healthy food closer to where people live, so more families can put healthy food on the table. We will also strengthen CARES programs so more families can access personalized support, critical services, and resources that help them move beyond crisis toward greater stability and self-sufficiency.
Thanks to a generous gift from the Ronald L. McDaniel Foundation, donations can be matched dollar for dollar, up to $500,000. Join us in helping more neighbors access healthy food and the support they need to move forward at www.loaves-fishes.org/nourishtogether.
