Saturday drive-thru distribution begins at Aurora pantry

On Saturday morning, Aurora resident Raul Sánchez was able to run some errands for his family, something his job prevents him from doing on other days of the week.

“I’m so happy they’re offering this. It’s just busy during the week. It’s a welcome thing,” he said of the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry’s new Saturday drive-thru at its 1110 Jericho Road facility in Aurora. “I started coming here when I just moved from the west side of Chicago. This will help us.”

In addition to the new drive-thru, which operates from 8 to 10 a.m. Saturdays, the pantry also offers indoor service days.

Katie Arko, executive director of the pantry, said the new Saturday drive-thru option stems from interest in further developing a network to serve the west side of the city.

“We want to increase accessibility,” Arko said. “We know there are people who can’t come here during the week and we want to make sure we’re as accessible as possible. But the real motivation behind this was what we saw as an emerging need for West Aurora School District 129 school families.”

Arko said the decision was made to try a partnership with District 129 “to promote this Saturday drive-thru that is for the school district but is also open to everyone.”

“This is a way to help families right now,” she said.

Arko said the pantry is a busy place these days.

“We are currently feeding at least 1,500 families per week,” she said, noting that the pantry is open for indoor service Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.

At the drive-thru Saturday, volunteer Tim Caldwell of Oswego said the new service makes sense.

“It speaks for itself, especially Saturday morning,” Caldwell said. “You go out and do your shopping on Saturday morning anyway, so it makes sense. »

Those waiting in line early Saturday morning to participate in the drive-thru welcomed the weekend option, noting that work demands during the week make it more difficult to stop by the pantry.

Rosemarie Mendoza of Aurora said it was difficult for her to get to the pantry during the week and she was happy to now have another option.

“You have to work and I just can’t make it,” Mendoza said of spending time at the pantry on a weekday. “I was excited when I heard about it.

“On the weekends it’s a lot easier,” she says.

Connie Davidson of Aurora also said the Saturday pickup made things more manageable.

“The weekend is the best time. Monday to Friday people work,” she said. “Because of my work schedule, I couldn’t come here. »

But the Saturday drive-thru at the pantry offers a whole new option.

“It really works a lot better,” she said.

David Sharos is a freelance journalist for The Beacon-News.