Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry

Hunger may seem far away in a generally affluent community like Oak Park and River Forest. But even in the midst of affluence, people struggle with hunger. In Oak Park alone, it is estimated that over 6,000 individuals are "food insecure"-they do not know where their next meal is coming from. We're not alone. 1 in 6 Americans struggles with Hunger. It is worse for families with children: 1 in 4 are food insecure. In its effort to provide hunger relief in 2013, Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry provided nutritious groceries, produce, meat and dairy products to 16,255 local families comprised of 43,937 individuals. We serve residents of 12 zip codes including portions of the city of Chicago (Austin, West Humboldt Park, Galewood) and most of the suburbs surrounding Oak Park. All clients must meet income guidelines and are limited to service once per month. Photo ID and proof of residency within our service boundaries are required for service. Each month, volunteers donate over 1700 hours of labor helping to feed their hungry neighbors. The value of that donated labor last fiscal year was over $175,000!