Blessing Bench Food Pantry

The Blessing Bench Food Pantry serves qualifying persons who are food insecure, living within our designated service area, with supplemental groceries. The pantry is an agency of the Northern Illinois Food Bank. The pantry is an outreach ministry of the First and Santa Cruz Lutheran Church, an urban parish in the heart of Joliet. Established in 1998, the pantry began on a spare church bench from which surplus non-perishable food products were distributed. As time passed, distribution grew from canned goods and boxed foods to include frozen meat, fresh dairy and vegetables. Today, we serve an average of 70 families on distribution days. We receive donations from The Northern Illinois Food Bank as well as partner affiliates. Affiliates include congregations, schools, service clubs, farmers, individual families and businesses. As our program expands, we look forward to partnering with other community agencies so that we may educate area residents about other health and wellness resources available to them. Hours: Select Wednesdays & Saturdays from 2:00 - 4:00pm