Irving Park Community Food Pantry

Irving Park Community Food Pantry The Irving Park Food Pantry provides food to those in need who reside in the 60641 or 60618 ZIP codes
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To qualify for food, visitors must present a photo ID or a piece of mail or other ID showing an address in 60641 or 60618 ZIP codes Those outside of this service area may come in once for a small, emergency amount of food until a Pantry in their area can be located. In addition to a 3-5 day supply of food, clients can receive pet food through our onsite Pet Food Corner, a partnership with the Com

munity Animal Rescue Effort (CARE). Onsite assistance in applying for SNAP benefits is available as are other client resources and referrals once COVID protocols are eased. Special distributions include: Easter baskets, school supplies, winter coats & accessories and Holiday food and toy distributions.

Thank you to the 30 members of the Student Council at Carl Schurz High School and Parent & Community Outreach Coordinato...
10/28/2023

Thank you to the 30 members of the Student Council at Carl Schurz High School and Parent & Community Outreach Coordinator Dee Barrett for making the Pantry the recipient of its first community service project of the year!
The students conducted a toiletry-drive canvass through the Old Irving Park neighborhood. They distributed flyers and then returned a few days later to collect six wagon loads of donations.
We appreciate their continued support, especially as toiletries are a difficult category for us to keep in stock. We look forward to working with them on more programs throughout the school year!

Volunteers help clients find coats and accessory items during Wednesday’s distribution. We gave out about 130 coats this...
10/27/2023

Volunteers help clients find coats and accessory items during Wednesday’s distribution. We gave out about 130 coats this week, bringing our total coats given out after three weeks to more than 400 coats! More than half (68) were women’s coats, which was unexpected, but we never know what clients will need most when they visit.
As a result, we are very low for next week in women’s coats as well as children’s coats of all sizes, especially larger sizes.
We still have two weeks left to give out coats, so please check your closets, watch for sales or visit the resale shops to help in any way you can to donate new or gently used heavy winter coats along with hats, scarves and gloves.
Donations, which will be given to our eligible clients in the 60641 and 60618 ZIP codes, can be taken to any of these locations:
# Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, 1775 Dempster St, Park Ridge (level G fitness center of Parkside building).
# 39th Ward Alderman Samantha Nugent's office, 4200 West Lawrence Ave.
# BIG Helpers, Inc., 4184 N. Elston Ave. (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday).
# Compass Real Estate (Three offices: 2044 W Roscoe St., 1653 N. Milwaukee Ave. and 2350 N. Lincoln Ave., 3rd floor.) (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Compass-Real-Estate/632267210460707).
# Distinct Bath And Body, 4046 N Milwaukee Ave.
# Irving Park YMCA, 4251 W Irving Park Rd. (dropbox in lobby)
# Jet's Pizza at Kimball, 3951 N. Kimball Ave., (dropbox in waiting area—free pizza with donation!) (https://www.jetspizza.com/stores/illinois/chicago/3951-n-kimball-ave/)
# J.T.’s Genuine Sandwich Shop, 3970 N. Elston Ave. (closed Mondays)
# Perkolator, 6032 W Irving Park Rd.
# Wintrust’s Mayfair Branch, 4343 N. Elston Ave.
(www.bankbranchlocator.com/wintrust-bank-mayfair-chicago-branch.html)
# Front Porch at 4731 Kiona Ave. (anytime)
If you have a large donation or want to run a drive to gather coats, please email [email protected] for suggestions or to arrange delivery. Thank you for your support!

THE PANTRY NEEDS YOUR HELP!Due to a scheduling quirk, the Greater Chicago Food Depository will not make a delivery to us...
10/26/2023

THE PANTRY NEEDS YOUR HELP!
Due to a scheduling quirk, the Greater Chicago Food Depository will not make a delivery to us this coming week while we face one of our biggest distributions of the year for the holiday season on Wednesday, November 1st.
As a result, we are especially low in canned goods of different kinds. We are asking supporters to donate just these items through next Tuesday to help us through until our next delivery:
# Grape jelly
# All types of canned beans (black, pinto, etc.)
# Tuna
# Lentils
# Cream of chicken soup
# Spaghetti
All donations can be brought to the Pantry on Monday (October 30th) from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. or Tuesday (October 31st) from 10 a.m. to noon. Please leave them in the parking area off the alley alongside the main door on Culllom.
They also can be taken to the Big Helpers store at 4184 N. Elston Ave. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Friday, Monday or Tuesday. Smaller donations can be dropped off on the enclosed front porch at 3833 N. Tripp through Monday evening at any time.
If you have a large donation or have questions, please email us at [email protected]. Thank you for your help with this special need!

It was another busy day at the Pantry yesterday morning. Despite the on-and-off rain, volunteers provided food to 129 cl...
10/26/2023

It was another busy day at the Pantry yesterday morning. Despite the on-and-off rain, volunteers provided food to 129 clients with 376 family members. The line remained consistent throughout the morning and serving everyone went into overtime until about 12:30. But everyone received food--and a coat, as our coat drive continued.
We appreciate all the hard work our volunteers put in both inside and outside to ensure everyone was able to shop and take home the food they need to feed their families!

Volunteer manager Betsy Minor (left) and Outreach volunteer Kathy O'Neill (not pictured) stopped by the recent grand ope...
10/24/2023

Volunteer manager Betsy Minor (left) and Outreach volunteer Kathy O'Neill (not pictured) stopped by the recent grand opening of the new space run by The Period Collective, which has been donating feminine-hygiene products to the Pantry since 2021.
To learn more about the group, visit https://theperiodcollective.org

Volunteers quickly scrambled to bring in a late deliver of our order from the Greater Chicago Food Depository for more t...
10/23/2023

Volunteers quickly scrambled to bring in a late deliver of our order from the Greater Chicago Food Depository for more than 9,500 pounds of food when it arrived this afternoon. We’ll receive more deliveries in the next two days to ensure we have enough food on hand to provide five days’ worth to everyone who needs help in the 60641 and 60618 ZIP codes. Our numbers each week continue to grow, so we continue to boost our orders whenever possible to cover the potential rise in clients.
If you would like to help us purchase all of the food it requires to provide our neighbors with five days’ worth of well-balanced meals each month, please make a PayPal donation at www.irvingparkfoodpantry.org or mail a check to Irving Park Food Pantry, 4256 N. Ridgeway Ave, Chicago IL 60618. Thank you for your support!

Tuesday night volunteer Stephanie Behne shows off some of the toiletry items available for clients. We provide a basic a...
10/21/2023

Tuesday night volunteer Stephanie Behne shows off some of the toiletry items available for clients. We provide a basic array of personal-care items for our clients to choose from each week, but many items items are hard to keep stocked, as they aren’t available through our discount sources and must be purchased with donations.
To alleviate these shortages, we are asking for donations (or drives) of basic toiletry items, including in-demand items comprising
# toothpaste & toothbrushes
# deodorant
# shampoo
# body wash
# razors and shaving cream
Other key needs are conditioner, body lotion, bar soap, #4- #6 diapers and baby wipes.
Donations can be dropped off at the Big Helpers store at 4184 N. Elston Ave. from 10 to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday or the front porch at 3912 N. Kenneth Ave. any time.
We also offer an online registry at Amazon with which supporters can make a contact-free donation: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3M879CFPE4IGF?ref_=wl_share
You can make your choices and have them shipped to the Pantry address indicated. Please do not ship packages directly to the Pantry, as we are not always there to receive them
Monetary donations to the program can be made via PayPal at www.irvingparkfoodpantry.org or by check to Irving Park Food Pantry, 4256 N. Ridgeway Ave., Chicago IL 60618. You can mark on your donation to use the money for "Toiletries" and it will go into our budget for those items.
We appreciate your help to fill this ongoing need!

Thank you to our crack coat crew this week, Christy Lock, Cat Krol, Michelle Buchecker, coordinator Kate McClelland, Jul...
10/20/2023

Thank you to our crack coat crew this week, Christy Lock, Cat Krol, Michelle Buchecker, coordinator Kate McClelland, Julie Williams and Melannie Zech. They gave out 113 men’s, women’s and children’s coats to our clients, providing a few rain checks toward the end so clients could return to find a better fit.
We are still in need of coats to continue giving them out through November 8th! Our numbers continue to grow with many new clients, including some new to Chicago who don’t know what’s on the way! If you have any new or gently used coats you can donate, please take them to any of our dropoff locations as soon as possible. Our next distribution will be on Wednesday from 9 a.m. to noon. They can be taken to:
# Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, 1775 Dempster St, Park Ridge (level G fitness center of Parkside building).
# 39th Ward Alderman Samantha Nugent’s office, 4200 West Lawrence Ave.
# BIG Helpers, Inc., 4184 N. Elston Ave. (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday).
# Compass Real Estate (Three offices: 2044 W Roscoe St., 1653 N. Milwaukee Ave. and 2350 N. Lincoln Ave., 3rd floor.) (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Compass-Real-Estate/632267210460707).
# Distinct Bath And Body, 4046 N Milwaukee Ave.
# Irving Park YMCA, 4251 W Irving Park Rd. (dropbox in lobby)
# Jet's Pizza at Kimball, 3951 N. Kimball Ave., (dropbox in waiting area—free pizza with donation!) (https://www.jetspizza.com/stores/illinois/chicago/3951-n-kimball-ave/)
# J.T.’s Genuine Sandwich Shop, 3970 N. Elston Ave. (closed Mondays)
# Old Irving Brewing Co., 4419 W Montrose Ave. (noon to 10 p.m.)
# Perkolator, 6032 W Irving Park Rd.
# Wintrust’s Mayfair Branch, 4343 N. Elston Ave.
(www.bankbranchlocator.com/wintrust-bank-mayfair-chicago-branch.html)
# Front Porch at 4731 Kiona Ave. (anytime)
If you have a large donation or want to run a drive to gather coats, please email [email protected] for suggestions or to arrange delivery. Thank you for your support!

It was another busy Wednesday morning at the Pantry. Volunteers provided food to 301 people in 114 families, yet another...
10/19/2023

It was another busy Wednesday morning at the Pantry. Volunteers provided food to 301 people in 114 families, yet another week in our continuing series of feeding 100+ families each week. Our homebound team also delivered groceries to 17 households who can’t make it into the Pantry, bringing our total families served to 131.
Nearly 15% of our visitors this week were in our service area and new to the Pantry, so it took longer to explain our process and get them started. But our Intake team had everyone registered and shopping when our doors closed at noon.
Our coat drive also continued, with more than 100 coats being given out. We appreciate everyone who had donated coats to the program and will still need more to make it through to the last day on November 8th
Thank you to all of our volunteers who worked hard to help our neighbors battle the food insecurity that has been thrust upon them by so many challenging conditions today.

Thank you to everyone who donated coats to the Pantry’s drive by dropping them off at the Irving Park YMCA! Emily Markle...
10/17/2023

Thank you to everyone who donated coats to the Pantry’s drive by dropping them off at the Irving Park YMCA! Emily Markle, membership experience supervisor, and the crew at the Y bagged up EIGHT big bags of coats for us this week!
That is a huge help after we gave out nearly all of the coats we had last week. With that and several other donations, we’re now pretty well restocked for when we open tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. for our clients in the 60641 and 60618 ZIP codes. We hope we have enough!
If you have some new or gently used heavy winter coats you’d like to donate, you can take them to any of these locations:
# Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, 1775 Dempster St, Park Ridge (level G fitness center of Parkside building).
# 39th Ward Alderman Samantha Nugent’s office, 4200 West Lawrence Ave. # BIG Helpers, Inc., 4184 N. Elston Ave. (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday).
# Compass Real Estate (Three offices: 2044 W Roscoe St., 1653 N. Milwaukee Ave. and 2350 N. Lincoln Ave., 3rd floor.) (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Compass-Real-Estate/632267210460707).
# DisneyElementary School, 3815 N. Kedvale Ave. (Inside Main Entrance, 8:30am-3:30pm)
# Disney II Magnet School, 3900 Lawndale Ave. (Inside Main Entrance, 8:45am-3:45pm)
# Distinct Bath And Body, 4046 N Milwaukee Ave.
# Irving Park YMCA, 4251 W Irving Park Rd. (dropbox in lobby)
# Jet's Pizza at Kimball, 3951 N. Kimball Ave., (dropbox in waiting area—free pizza with donation!) (https://www.jetspizza.com/stores/illinois/chicago/3951-n-kimball-ave/)
# J.T.’s Genuine Sandwich Shop, 3970 N. Elston Ave. (closed Mondays)
# Old Irving Brewing Co.., 4419 W Montrose Ave. (noon to 10 p.m.)
# Perkolator, 6032 W Irving Park Rd.
# Wintrust’s Mayfair Branch, 4343 N. Elston Ave.
(www.bankbranchlocator.com/wintrust-bank-mayfair-chicago-branch.html)
# Front Porch at 4731 Kiona Ave. (anytime)
If you have a large donation or want to run a drive to gather coats, please email [email protected] for suggestions or to arrange delivery. Thank you for your support!

Pantry volunteers including Volunteer Coordinator Betsy Minor visited two Pantry partners at this past weekend's  . They...
10/17/2023

Pantry volunteers including Volunteer Coordinator Betsy Minor visited two Pantry partners at this past weekend's .
They checked out Common Pantry's brand new space, and stopped by KOVAL Distillery, which provided us with hand sanitizer during the pandemic,

Our order volume from the Greater Chicago Food Depository  continues to grow as our client totals rise each week. This w...
10/16/2023

Our order volume from the Greater Chicago Food Depository continues to grow as our client totals rise each week. This week’s total was nearly 11,000 pounds, which volunteers brought in and distribute to the appropriate stations. We’ll receive more deliveries of produce, dairy and other staples prior to opening at 9 a.m. for everyone needing food in the 60641 and 60618 ZIP codes.
If you would like to help us purchase all of the food it requires to provide our neighbors with five days’ worth of well-balanced meals each month, please make a PayPal donation at www.irvingparkfoodpantry.org or mail a check to Irving Park Food Pantry, 4256 N. Ridgeway Ave, Chicago IL 60618. Thank you for your support!

Thank you to Barry Sorkin, owner of Smoque BBQ, who dropped off a donation of cat food to the Pantry this week. Smoque d...
10/15/2023

Thank you to Barry Sorkin, owner of Smoque BBQ, who dropped off a donation of cat food to the Pantry this week. Smoque donates pet food regularly, and we appreciate receiving these donations, as we often run short of cat food for our clients.
For more about the restaurant, visit www.smoquebbq.com

Dan O’Donohue, co-owner of Jet’s on Kimball, stopped by the Pantry earlier this week with his kids to drop off the first...
10/14/2023

Dan O’Donohue, co-owner of Jet’s on Kimball, stopped by the Pantry earlier this week with his kids to drop off the first collection of coats from his restaurant, which is offering a FREE PIZZA with every donation to the Pantry’s coat drive!
Dan and the kids not only delivered the coats to coat-drive coordinator Kate McClelland but stayed to help sort and rack the coats. We very much appreciate their on-going support of this program and so many others that help our neighbors.
To see the menu and place an order, visit https://www.jetspizza.com/stores/illinois/chicago/3951-n-kimball-ave/
We are in desperate need of coats this week after giving out about 165 last week! New or gently used heavy winter coats can be taken to these locations:
# Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, 1775 Dempster St, Park Ridge (level G fitness center of Parkside building).
# 39th Ward Alderman Samantha Nugent’s office, 4200 West Lawrence Ave. # BIG Helpers, Inc., 4184 N. Elston Ave. (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday).
# Compass Real Estate (Three offices: 2044 W Roscoe St., 1653 N. Milwaukee Ave. and 2350 N. Lincoln Ave., 3rd floor.) (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Compass-Real-Estate/632267210460707).
# DisneyElementary, 3815 N. Kedvale Ave. (Inside Main Entrance, 8:30am-3:30pm)
# Disney II Magnet School, 3900 Lawndale Ave. (Inside Main Entrance, 8:45am-3:45pm)
# Distinct Bath And Body, 4046 N Milwaukee Ave.
# Irving Park YMCA, 4251 W Irving Park Rd. (dropbox in lobby)
# Jet's Pizza at Kimball, 3951 N. Kimball Ave., (dropbox in waiting area—free pizza with donation!) (https://www.jetspizza.com/stores/illinois/chicago/3951-n-kimball-ave/)
# J.T.’s Genuine Sandwich Shop, 3970 N. Elston Ave. (closed Mondays)
# Old Irving Brewing Co., 4419 W Montrose Ave. (noon to 10 p.m.)
# Perkolator, 6032 W Irving Park Rd.
# Front Porch at 4731 Kiona Ave. (anytime)
If you have a large donation or want to run a drive to gather coats, please email [email protected] for suggestions or to arrange delivery. Thank you for your support!

Congratulations to Dana Moran and Laura Barnes, our Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, respectively, Volunteers of the...
10/13/2023

Congratulations to Dana Moran and Laura Barnes, our Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, respectively, Volunteers of the Year! The two were voted to receive the awards by their fellow volunteers and were presented with their awards during their distributions this week. We appreciate their hard work on the behalf of all of our clients!

Pantry Coat Drive Needs Your Help!The Pantry’s coat drive was a rousing success in its first week! With larger than usua...
10/12/2023

Pantry Coat Drive Needs Your Help!
The Pantry’s coat drive was a rousing success in its first week! With larger than usual numbers of clients coming in during both our Tuesday night and Wednesday morning distributions, we gave out about 165 coats, plus hats, scarves and gloves to our clients and their families living in the 60641 and 60618 ZIP codes.
Unfortunately, that nearly wiped out our supply of coats! We have only a dozen or so left over and need to restock quickly so we can offer more to clients next Wednesday.
If you can, please donate any gently used or new coats you can this week. The fastest way to get them to us is to take them to the Big Helpers store at 4184 N. Elston Ave. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Friday, or drop them on the front porch at 4731 Kiona Ave. or 3912 N. Kenneth any time.
If those aren’t convenient, donations can be taken to:
# Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, 1775 Dempster St, Park Ridge (level G fitness center of Parkside building).
# Ald. Samantha Nugent’s office, 4200 West Lawrence Ave.
# Compass Real Estate (Three offices: 2044 W Roscoe St., 1653 N. Milwaukee Ave. and 2350 N. Lincoln Ave., 3rd floor.) (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Compass-Real-Estate/632267210460707).
# Disney IiElementary School, 3815 N. Kedvale Ave. (Inside Main Entrance, 8:30am-3:30pm)
# Disney II Magnet School, 3900 Lawndale Ave. (Inside Main Entrance, 8:45am-3:45pm)
# Distinct Bath And Body, 4046 N Milwaukee Ave.
# Irving Park YMCA, 4251 W Irving Park Rd. (dropbox in lobby)
# Jet's Pizza at Kimball, 3951 N. Kimball Ave., (dropbox in waiting area) (https://www.jetspizza.com/stores/illinois/chicago/3951-n-kimball-ave/)
# J.T.’s Genuine Sandwich Shop, 3970 N. Elston Ave. (closed Mondays)
# Old Irving Brewing Co., 4419 W Montrose Ave. (noon to 10 p.m.)
# Perkolator, 6032 W Irving Park Rd.
If you have a large donation or want to run a drive to gather coats, please email [email protected] for suggestions or to arrange delivery. Thank you for your support!

Wednesday’s volunteers picked up where Tuesday night’s team left off, providing food to the highest number of clients in...
10/12/2023

Wednesday’s volunteers picked up where Tuesday night’s team left off, providing food to the highest number of clients in recent memory. Volunteers gave food to 120 clients with a total of 362 family members. Our homebound team delivered food to 21 clients who can’t make it into the Pantry.
Combined with Tuesday night’s totals of 70 households with 209 family members plus six homebound deliveries, our total for this week was 217 clients provided with food for 589 family members!
Our coat program, which began Tuesday night, provided about 165 coats to clients, virtually wiping out our inventory. As a result, we have almost no coats for next week and need any donations you can provide! Please take them to one of our dropoff locations, especially the Big Helpers store at 4184 N. Elston Ave. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday to ensure they get to us in time for next week’s distribution.
Thank you to all our volunteers who put in mass quantities of overtime this week to provide food to so many of our neighbors in need!

Volunteers were kept on their toes Tuesday night when they provided food to about 209 people in 70 families, our highest...
10/11/2023

Volunteers were kept on their toes Tuesday night when they provided food to about 209 people in 70 families, our highest total in memory for a Tuesday night.
We also began giving out coats, providing men's, women's and children's coats to 70 family members. Our total number of coats is being rapidly depleted, so if you have any gently used or new coats you can donate, please take them to any of our dropoff locations soon!

The crack setup team for our coat drive--program coordinator Kate McClelland, L.J. McClelland and Joyce Reddinger--show ...
10/10/2023

The crack setup team for our coat drive--program coordinator Kate McClelland, L.J. McClelland and Joyce Reddinger--show off some of their hard work of sorting and hanging coats for tonight's distribution from 6 to 7 p.m.
Coats can be dropped off at any of our locations until November 6th, but the earlier we get them, the better chance our clients have of finding something that will work for the long, harsh Chicago winter that is no doubt in our very near future.
Many of our clients are new to Chicago and don't know what's coming their way! Please help them prepare a little better by donating any gently used or new heavy winter coats you can!

Volunteers were busy yesterday morning storing away our order of more than 9,200 pounds of food from the Greater Chicago...
10/10/2023

Volunteers were busy yesterday morning storing away our order of more than 9,200 pounds of food from the Greater Chicago Food Depository and preparing our food stations for tonight's distribution from 6 to 7 p.m. for everyone in the 60641 and 60618 ZIP codes in need of food. We'll open again tomorrow from 9 a.m. to noon.
Tonight begins our winter-coat program, which continues until November 8th. We are still accepting donations, so please check your closets and take any unneeded coats to one of our dropoff points soon!
If you would like to help us purchase all of the food it requires to provide our neighbors with five days’ worth of well-balanced meals each month, please make a PayPal donation at www.irvingparkfoodpantry.org or mail a check to Irving Park Food Pantry, 4256 N. Ridgeway Ave, Chicago IL 60618. Thank you for your support!

Pantry Coat Drive Begins Tomorrow!Thank you to everyone who has donated to our coat drive! We begin giving out coats tom...
10/09/2023

Pantry Coat Drive Begins Tomorrow!
Thank you to everyone who has donated to our coat drive! We begin giving out coats tomorrow from 6 to 7 p.m. to qualified clients in the 60641 and 60618 ZIP codes when they come in to shop for food. If you want to donate, please check your closets now for gently used coats or check some sales to pick up some cheap men’s, women’s or children’s coats. Coats can be donated until Monday, November 6th, but the earlier the better!
Donations can be taken to:
# Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, 1775 Dempster St, Park Ridge (level G fitness center of Parkside building).
# 39th Ward Alderman Samantha Nugent, 4200 West Lawrence Ave.
# BIG Helpers, Inc., 4184 N. Elston Ave. (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday).
# Compass Real Estate (Three offices: 2044 W Roscoe St., 1653 N. Milwaukee Ave. and 2350 N. Lincoln Ave., 3rd floor.) (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Compass-Real-Estate/632267210460707).
# Disney Elementary School, 3815 N. Kedvale Ave. (Inside Main Entrance, 8:30am-3:30pm)
# Disney II Magnet School, 3900 Lawndale Ave. (Inside Main Entrance, 8:45am-3:45pm)
# Distinct Bath And Body, , 4046 N Milwaukee Ave.
# Irving Park YMCA, 4251 W Irving Park Rd. (dropbox in lobby)
# Jet's Pizza at Kimball, 3951 N. Kimball Ave., (dropbox in waiting area) (https://www.jetspizza.com/stores/illinois/chicago/3951-n-kimball-ave/)
# J.T.’s Genuine Sandwich Shop, 3970 N. Elston Ave. (closed Mondays)
# Old Irving Brewing Co.., 4419 W Montrose Ave. (noon to 10 p.m.)
# Perkolator, 6032 W Irving Park Rd.
# Front Porch at 4731 Kiona Ave. (anytime)
If you have a large donation or want to run a drive to gather coats, please email [email protected] for suggestions or to arrange delivery. Thank you for your support!

For 39 years, we've provided food for our clients and their pets, toiletries, special distributions of school supplies, ...
10/06/2023

For 39 years, we've provided food for our clients and their pets, toiletries, special distributions of school supplies, cold weather gear and holiday gifts, resources for health and wellness, housing and financial assistance. We meet our mission of with the support of local business and national corporations, schools, churches, civic organizations, leaders in local government and you! Here's to 39 years of service in our , through good times and lean ones, pandemics and recessions, and here's to 39 more! To support us, click here: www.irvingparkfoodpantry.org

Another busy day at our Food Pantry! We served approximately 120(!) families comprising 363 individuals. 85 Individuals ...
10/05/2023

Another busy day at our Food Pantry! We served approximately 120(!) families comprising 363 individuals. 85 Individuals have not been to our pantry before. The lines were long most of the day. But our volunteers are troopers and love to help others!

We're grateful for the partnership of our   and business owners supporting our annual  , including: Distinct Bath And Bo...
10/04/2023

We're grateful for the partnership of our and business owners supporting our annual , including: Distinct Bath And Body (left), Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, 39th Ward Alderman Samantha Nugent, BIG Helpers, Inc., Compass Real Estate, Disney II Magnet School, Disney II Elem School, Irving Park YMCA, Jet's Pizza at Kimball, J.T.’s Genuine Sandwich Shop, (middle right) Old Irving Brewing Co. (bottom right), Perkolator (top right) and Wintrust Mayfair. For drop off details and deadlines or to host a location, visit www.irvingparkfoodpantry.org

We are here to help break the hunger cycle and provide nutritious food to neighbors in need.
10/04/2023

We are here to help break the hunger cycle and provide nutritious food to neighbors in need.

Looking for a one time opportunity to help the Food Pantry? We are looking for people to help us give out coats to our c...
10/03/2023

Looking for a one time opportunity to help the Food Pantry? We are looking for people to help us give out coats to our clients. Direct them to different sizes and put their selection in bags. Such a great way to help give back!
Sign up using the link below.

Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Thank you!

We're grateful for our partners who provide fresh vegetables and herbs for our clients from their farms or   gardens. Le...
10/01/2023

We're grateful for our partners who provide fresh vegetables and herbs for our clients from their farms or gardens. Let's give a hand to Merchant Park Community Garden, Carlson Community Services and Nayak Farms as the season winds down!

FREE PIZZA if you donate a coat!!! Jet's Pizza believes in giving back to our community, and we're excited to announce f...
09/28/2023

FREE PIZZA if you donate a coat!!!
Jet's Pizza believes in giving back to our community, and we're excited to announce for the second year in a row a special opportunity for you to make a difference this winter season. Please help us support our friends at the Irving Park Community Food Pantry as they host their annual coat drive.

Here's how you can participate: Bring in a new or gently used coat to our Irving Park location (3951 North Kimball), and as a token of our appreciation for your generosity, we'll treat you to a FREE 4 Corner 1-topping pizza!

With your help, last year the IPCFP was able to hand out over 600 coats! Demand at the pantry has been high this year, especially children, so all sizes are needed.

Yesterday we were proud to serve 113 households comprising 359 individuals. 85.5% have been to the Pantry before, while ...
09/28/2023

Yesterday we were proud to serve 113 households comprising 359 individuals.
85.5% have been to the Pantry before, while 14.5% visited for the first time yesterday. We are happy to be here for those neighbors. And continue to thank you for your support, whether that be monetary donations to help us purchase food, physical donations of food, coats and other items, or simply liking and sharing our social media posts. ❤️

We're committed to helping our clients take care of their best friends; winged, four legged and even ones with gills. We...
09/28/2023

We're committed to helping our clients take care of their best friends; winged, four legged and even ones with gills. We do this by providing pet food and supplies to clients, so no one is forced to decide between caring for themselves and caring for their pets. Right now we need your help to replenish our wet and dry cat food inventory. Donate to our Amazon Wish List: https://bit.ly/3M2Dk07, our Chewy list: https://bit.ly/3LEhJuu or online at www.irvingparkfoodpantry.org

Donations to the Irving Park Food Pantry Coat Drive are starting to come in!! Thanks to those who have donated so far! P...
09/26/2023

Donations to the Irving Park Food Pantry Coat Drive are starting to come in!! Thanks to those who have donated so far! Please take a few minutes to look through your closet for coats you can donate, or purchase new coats. We have several neighbors in the area who have come from warm climates and will need a coat to see them through the Chicago "character building" winters.

We will begin giving out coats October 10th and continue until November 8th. We are accepting winter coats along with hats, scarves, mittens and other cold-weather gear. Please do not donate sweaters, sweat shirts, boots or other types of clothing.

Donations can be taken to:
# Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, 1775 Dempster St, Park Ridge (level G fitness center of Parkside building).

# 39th Ward Alderman Samantha Nugent, 4200 West Lawrence Ave.

# BIG Helpers, Inc. 4184 N. Elston Ave. (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday).

# Compass Real Estate, Three offices: 2044 W Roscoe St., 1653 N. Milwaukee Ave. and 2350 N. Lincoln Ave., 3rd floor.

# Disney II Magnet School, 3815 N. Kedvale Ave. (Main Entrance, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.)

# Disney II Magnet High School, 3900 Lawndale Ave. (Main Entrance, 8:45 a.m.-3:45 p.m.)

Bath And Body, 4046 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60641

# Irving Park YMCA, 4251 W Irving Park Rd. (dropbox in lobby)

# Jet's Pizza, 3951 N. Kimball Ave., (dropbox in waiting area)

# J.T.’s Genuine Sandwich Shop, 3970 N. Elston Ave. (closed Mondays)

# Old Irving Brewing Co., 4419 W Montrose Ave. (noon to 10 p.m.)

# Perkolator, 6032 W Irving Park Rd.

# Wintrust Mayfair Branch, 4343 N. Elston Ave.

# Front Porch at 4731 Kiona Ave. (anytime)

Other drop-off points will be announced on our social media pages. If you have a large donation or want to run a drive to gather coats, email [email protected] for suggestions or to arrange delivery. Thank you for your support!

These faces are the Pantry's unsung heroes who show up, rain or shine, every Monday to prep us for our weekly distributi...
09/26/2023

These faces are the Pantry's unsung heroes who show up, rain or shine, every Monday to prep us for our weekly distributions. As our numbers continue to rise to 100+ visitors on a weekly basis, these intrepid are here for it, loading in thousands of lbs. of food from Greater Chicago Food Depository. They were back today, unloading 11,153 lbs. of fruit, vegetables, dairy, meat, bread and canned and boxed goods. While almost 1200 lbs. of food might seem like a lot, we still need your support. Donate: www.irvingparkfoodpantry.org

We are grateful to Chris at J.T.’s Genuine Sandwich Shop for supporting our Food Pantry by providing proceeds from sales...
09/24/2023

We are grateful to Chris at J.T.’s Genuine Sandwich Shop for supporting our Food Pantry by providing proceeds from sales at the Independence Park Farmers Market Chicago. Thank you from our hearts!

Pantry volunteers were busy yesterday morning, providing food to about 356 people in 100 families plus making 17 deliver...
09/21/2023

Pantry volunteers were busy yesterday morning, providing food to about 356 people in 100 families plus making 17 deliveries to clients in our homebound program.
We appreciate all of our volunteers’ hard work to ensure clients could shop for the food they wanted and get on their way back home quickly!

Address

4256 N. Ridgeway Avenue
Chicago, IL
60618

Opening Hours

9am - 12pm

Telephone

(773) 283-6296

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The Irving Park Community Food Pantry provides food and other assistance to those who live in the 60641 or 60618 (west of Kedzie) ZIP codes. We are open every Wednesday morning from 9 am until noon and on the second Tuesday evening of every month from 6:00 pm to 7:30. In addition to a 3-5 day supply of food our visitors can also receive pet food through our onsite Pet Food Corner, a partnership with the Community Animal Rescue Effort (CARE). Onsite assistance in applying for SNAP benefits is available as are other client resources and referrals. Special distributions include: Easter baskets, school supplies, winter coats and accessories and Holiday food and toy distributions.


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Romana Puente, member experience supervisor at the Irving Park YMCA, shows off three more bags of coats that were donated to the Pantry's coat drive in the past week. The Y has a decorated dropoff area in its lobby where anyone, member or not, can quickly deliver any new or gently used winter coats for the drive.
The Pantry's program, to provide winter coats to its clients' families in the 60641 and 60618 ZIP codes, begins NEXT WEEK on October 19th. Please make any donations you can as soon as possible. The drive runs through November 16th, with the final dropoff deadline of November 14th.
We also are asking for hats, scarves, mittens and other cold-weather gear. Please do not donate sweaters, sweatshirts, boots or other clothing.
We are happy to provide receipts for all new coats donated for tax deductions and encourage everyone to keep an eye out for good sales on men's, women's and children's coats.
Donations can be dropped off at any of the below participating locations:
# 16th District—Jefferson Park Police Station, 5151 N Milwaukee Ave.
# 17th District—Albany Park Police Station, 4650 N. Pulaski Rd.
# Big Helpers store, 4184 N. Elston Ave. (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday)
# Disney II Magnet School, 3815 N. Kedvale Ave. (Inside Main Entrance, 8:30am-3:30pm)
# Disney II Magnet High School, 3900 Lawndale Ave. (Inside Main Entrance, 8:45am-3:45pm)
# Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N Knox Ave.
# Irving Park YMCA, 4251 W Irving Park Rd. (dropbox in lobby)
# Jet’s Pizza, 3951 N. Kimball Ave., (dropbox in waiting area)
# J.T.’s Genuine Sandwich Shop, 3970 N. Elston Ave. (closed Mondays)
# Old Irving Brewing Company, 4419 W Montrose Ave. (noon to 10 p.m.)
# Perkolator Coffee, 6032 W Irving Park Rd. (during operating hours)
# Front Porch at 3822 N Tripp Ave. (anytime)
If you have a large donation or want to run a drive to gather coats, please email [email protected] with questions or to arrange delivery.
Thank you for your support of this annual program to help our neighbors this winter!
More than 7,300 pounds of food were included in our order from the Greater Chicago Food Depository today. Volunteers brought it all into the Pantry and parceled it out to the proper stations to begin preparations for our distribution Tuesday night from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to noon for everyone in the 60641 and 60618 ZIP codes who needs help.
We also received a delivery of 100 loaves of bread from Smoque's supplier, to help with our two distributions this week. We often run low on bread on Wednesday due to the larger numbers of clients now coming during our Tuesday night distribution, and this donation is a big help in meeting those needs. Our Tuesday numbers have more than doubled in recent months, requiring us to buy more food for our busiest week of the month.
We'll continue to receive more deliveries of foods we can't order through GCFD, including more produce, bread and a variety of nonperishables, right up until we open tomorrow night and into Wednesday morning.
If you would like to help us purchase all of the food needed to provide all of our clients with five days' worth of emergency food to make nutritious, well-balanced meals, please make a PayPal donation at www.irvingparkfoodpantry.org or mail a check to Irving Park Food Pantry, 4256 N. Ridgeway Ave., Chicago IL 60618.
Thank you for your continued support of our efforts!
Lisa Hendricks, (our 2022 Volunteer of the Year) shows off some of the prodigious donations of veggies she picked up from participants in the Lincoln Square Farmers Market this week. That group comprised Compean and Sons, Los Rodriguez Farm and Lafevor Farm and Greenhouses.
Additional farms have promised to participate this coming week, as the harvest season winds down. We appreciate all the donations, which help us provide our clients with a wider range of options, especially for bigger families.
Iris Ramos and Eric Garcia from long-time Pantry supporter Oak Street Health set up a booth outside of the Pantry this week. They handed out pamphlets and explained the group’s services for adults on Medicare to Pantry clients and anyone else in the neighborhood who stopped by. They'll be returning on a regular basis.
For more about Oak Street and their Portage Park location, visit https://www.oakstreethealth.com/locations/chicago-il/portage-park-doctors-office
Iris Ramirez, member engagement supervisor at the Irving Park YMCA, shows off one of several bags of coats already donated by members for the Pantry. She’s with the Y’s Fred Monster, who “eats” Halloween candy it receives for programs.
The donations will be used in our program to provide clients and their families in the 60641 and 60618 ZIP codes with new or gently used winter coats starting in mid-October and continuing until November 16th, our last distribution before Thanksgiving.
In addition to winter coats, we are collecting hats, scarves, mittens and other cold-weather gear. Please do not donate sweaters, sweatshirts, boots or other clothing.
We are happy to provide receipts for all new coats donated for tax deductions and encourage everyone to keep an eye out for good sales on men's, women's and children's coats.
Donations can be taken to any of these participating locations:
# 16th District—Jefferson Park Police Station, 5151 N Milwaukee Ave.
# 17th District—Albany Park Police Station, 4650 N. Pulaski Rd.
# Big Helpers store, 4184 N. Elston Ave. (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday).
# Disney II Magnet School, 3815 N. Kedvale Ave. (Inside Main Entrance, 8:30am-3:30pm)
# Disney II Magnet High School, 3900 Lawndale Ave. (Inside Main Entrance, 8:45am-3:45pm)
# Irish American Heritage Center, 4626 N Knox Ave.
# Irving Park YMCA, 4251 W Irving Park Rd. (dropbox in lobby)
# Jet’s Pizza, 3951 N. Kimball Ave., (dropbox in waiting area)
# J.T.’s Genuine Sandwich Shop, 3970 N. Elston Ave. (closed Mondays)
# Old Irving Brewing Company, 4419 W Montrose Ave. (noon to 10 p.m.)
# Perkolator Coffee, 6032 W Irving Park Rd. (during operating hours)
# Front Porch at 3822 N Tripp Ave. (anytime)
If you have a large donation or want to run a drive to gather coats, please email [email protected] with questions or to arrange delivery.
Thank you for your support of this annual program to help our neighbors this winter!
Pantry volunteers kept busy on Wednesday morning, providing groceries to 333 people in 105 families, one of our busiest days in some time. It was the first week of a new calendar month, which often is the busiest week, but this marked a big jump for any week in many months.
A few people were still in line when we closed at noon, but we stayed open to ensure they all received food. Supplies held out, as we had expected to have a large number coming in. The count included 16 new families, and we were happy to explain how we work and provide them with food.
Thank you to all our volunteers who worked so hard to keep everything moving smoothly and stayed late to ensure everyone received food to keep their families fed this month. We expect our total to continue to grow as the weather turns cold and more income must go to heating and other needs.
Congratulations to Lisa Hendricks, who was named the Pantry's 2022 Volunteer of the Year! Lisa not only volunteers at the Pantry every week but coordinates harvesting our herb garden and makes regular pickups at pet stores for our Pet Food Corner and at the Lincoln Square Farmers Market to pick up produce from a number of vendors who donate to us.
We appreciate all her hard work and ready smiles each week and the effort she puts in all week long!
Certificates of Appreciation also went to Lynne Anderson, who coordinates our registration and runs demographic information each week to help us understand our clients' needs better; Laura Barnes, who works tirelessly to load clients' groceries each week and pitches in on many activities around the Pantry; and Kathy O'Neill, who works with outside organizations, including aldermen's offices and community groups on our behalf. We thank them for their dedication to our clients!
The awards were announced at the Pantry's Volunteer Lunch, which was held in the Pantry's delivery area this past Saturday. It was catered by Coco's Tacos truck from Aurora, with beautiful weather to allow volunteers to mingle and enjoy the day.
We appreciate all of our volunteers' hard work throughout the week to keep us moving forward and handling the challenges thrown at us through the year. They are the key to our ability to being "Neighbors Helping Neighbors!"
Tracy Fletcher, who is coordinating the coat drive for the Pantry at the Disney II schools, dropped off the first batch of donated coats this weekend. That gets us off to a good start! We've also heard from some of our other partners that they're getting in enough coats to make a run to bring them in.
We appreciate every donation to our annual coat drive, which aims to provide clients and their families in the 60641 and 60618 ZIP codes with new or gently used winter coats.
We are collecting coats now and will begin giving them out on October 19th and continue until November 16th, our last distribution before Thanksgiving.
We are asking for winter coats, along with hats, scarves, mittens and other cold-weather gear. Please do not donate sweaters, sweatshirts, boots or other clothing.
We are happy to provide receipts for all new coats donated for tax deductions and encourage everyone to keep an eye out for good sales on men's, women's and children's coats.
Donations can be taken to any of these participating groups:
# 16th District—Jefferson Park Police Station, 5151 N Milwaukee Ave.
# 17th District—Albany Park Police Station, 4650 N. Pulaski Rd.
# Big Helpers store, 4184 N. Elston Ave. (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday).
# Disney II Magnet School, 3815 N. Kedvale Ave. (Inside Main Entrance, 8:30am-3:30pm)
# Disney II Magnet High School, 3900 Lawndale Ave. (Inside Main Entrance, 8:45am-3:45pm)
# Irving Park YMCA, 4251 W Irving Park Rd. (dropbox in lobby)
# Jet’s Pizza, 3951 N. Kimball Ave., (dropbox in waiting area)
# J.T.’s Genuine Sandwich Shop, 3970 N. Elston Ave. (closed Mondays)
# Old Irving Brewing Company, 4419 W Montrose Ave. (noon to 10 p.m.)
# Perkolator Coffee, 6032 W Irving Park Rd. (during operating hours)
# Front Porch at 3822 N Tripp Ave. (anytime)
If you have a large donation or want to run a drive to gather coats, please email [email protected] with questions or to arrange delivery.
Thank you for your support of this annual program to help our neighbors this winter!
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