New Food Pantry To Open At DuPage County Elementary School
CHICAGO (CBS) -- DuPage County is one of the wealthiest in the Chicago area but that doesn't mean there are not people struggling to make ends meet.
"Thirty-seven thousand children in DuPage County are uncertain where their next meal is coming from," said Deb Baker, executive director of HCS Family Services. Nearly 50,000 adults are, too, she said.
Starting in the middle of next month, HCS will open a food pantry once a week at Anne M. Jeans Elementary School in Willowbrook. The pantry request was approved this week by the Burr Ridge District 180 school board.
"The school is in a high-need area, and we've currently been providing food to that community with a mobile food pantry once a month, but now with having a permanent space in the school, these families will have increased access to a variety of food on a weekly basis," Baker said.
Podcast
The pantry will open in about a month, and will provide fresh produce and more to families of students of Hinsdale Township High School District 86 and their 23 feeder schools -- including Butler School District 53, Maercker School District 60, Darien School District 61, Gower School District 62, Cass School District 63, Burr Ridge School District 180, and Hinsdale School District 181.
"DuPage county is one of the wealthiest communities, but it also costs a lot to live here, and housing costs are really high, so that we do see a lot of families struggling to meet all of their basic needs," Baker said.
