Programming Overview
For nearly 40 years, Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry has been providing hunger relief services to the local community. To better meet the needs of our clients, we have moved beyond just providing emergency food, curating a program catalog to equip our clients with the tools and knowledge to achieve food security.
Emergency Food Allotments
While we have expanded our programs, providing emergency food allotments remains central to our mission. Each of the over 15,000 families that came in FY2016 received an average of 57 pounds of groceries each visit.
In 2010, we began a healthy foods initiative that prioritized healthy foods for our clients. Our clients often lack access--financial or otherwise--to quality nutritious foods, and are often forced to turn to high-calorie, low-nutrient foods when hunger strikes.
To combat this, we’ve prioritized procuring healthy foods – through rescue partners and purchases through a produce wholesaler. In FY2016, 95% of the food we procured was protein-rich or nutrient dense, and each family received an average of 12 pounds of fresh produce.
On-Site Health Screenings
Volunteer nurses and doctors perform on-site health screenings – including blood pressure checks – during food distributions. The program allows clients to “know their numbers” allowing them to change their diets and lifestyles to live healthier lives.
Benefits Connection
Our full-time Benefits Coordinator helps clients navigate the complicated process of applying for public benefits including SNAP (“food stamps”). Clients are also referred to services through other organizations such as Housing Forward’s Job Readiness Program, Parenthesis, and Safelink.
Diligent pre-screening for eligibility and careful one-on-one attention means that 90% of the clients we help apply receive SNAP benefits (compared to Illinois overall approval rate of 56%). In FY2016, the program connected 304 people to SNAP, and 541 people to benefits overall.
Cooking Matters
Cooking Matters equips participants with the knowledge and skills to prepare healthy, delicious food on a limited budget. The six-week program covers a range of topics relating to healthy eating including meal planning, budgeting, and incorporating fruits and vegetables. During each session participants enjoy a healthy snack, discuss the week’s topic, and spend hands-on time in the kitchen preparing a meal to share. After each session, participants take home groceries to make the week’s meal at home.
An offshoot of the Cooking Matters course, Cooking Matters at the Store is a one-time class that teaches participants how to shop for healthy, affordable food. Participants put their newfound knowledge into practice by shopping for the groceries to make a meal with a $10 gift card.
Home Delivery
In collaboration with Oak Park Township, the Food Pantry delivers monthly allotments of groceries to low-income, homebound seniors across Oak Park and River Forest.
Each client enrolled in the program receives approximately 50 pounds of food each month, including eggs, meat/poultry, milk, fresh produce, and whole grains. Each delivery is tailored to each client’s specific needs and preferences by allowing clients to choose groceries from a list of available options.
Nutrition Education
During food distributions our licensed dietitian, nutrition interns, and volunteers demonstrate healthy recipes, hand out food samples, and lead discussions on a variety of topics including diabetes and label reading.
We have formed partnerships with local universities and nutrition programs, including Dominican University and University of Illinois at Chicago. As a Community Nutrition Site, we help students studying to become Registered Dietitians gain vital experience while our clients receive top-notch nutrition education.
Summer Meals
During the summer kids who normally receive free or reduced-price lunches are often left without access to meals. To combat this, the Food Pantry partners with various local organizations in both open and closed-enrollment sites to ensure kids have access to free meals during the summer months. In Summer 2016, over 10,000 meals and snacks were provided to kids in need, allowing them to fully enjoy summer alongside their peers.
During Summer 2016 the Food Pantry ran 2 open sites in partnership with local organizations allowing kids and teens to access healthy lunches in a safe space. These sites also boasted activities for kids to participate in while receiving lunch, including coloring and story time.
In addition to the open sites, the Food Pantry partnered with existing closed-enrollment summer programs at Oak Park and River Forest High School and Oak Park Education Foundation to provide participants with free meals and snacks during the duration of the programs.
Surplus Project
The Surplus Project began in 2015 as a partnership between the Food Pantry and Rush Oak Park Hospital. Surplus cafeteria food is repackaged and distributed to those in need within 24 hours. Since the programs start, it has expanded to include additional recipient and cafeteria sites thanks to grant funding from the Entrepreneur Leaders in Philanthropy (a giving group of Oak Park-River Forest Community Foundation) through their Big Idea Grant.
In FY2016, the program rescued a total of 5,225 meals and 939 side dishes from Rush Oak Park Hospital and redirected them to those in need.