Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry & Clothes Closet to Hold a Ribbon Cutting & Open House

Batavia, IL -- The Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry & Clothes Closet will be hosting a Ribbon Cutting and Open House to show off their new, permanent location at 916 First Street, Batavia. The event will be held on Friday, November 21, from 3-7pm, and all community members are welcome!

This relocation was made possible through a $3 million Community Project Funding Grant, secured with the assistance of Congresswoman Lauren Underwood. Underwood will attend the ribbon cutting, which will take place at 3pm.

The new building, with its more than 14,000 square feet, features larger shopping and storage areas, a larger waiting room, more office and “flex” space, a drive-in dock, and a loading dock. It has more than three times the area of the organization's former building on Flinn Street.

“Our new facility gives us the space to better accommodate the increasing number of families we have been seeing,” said Eileen Pasero, Executive Director of the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry and Clothes Closet. “This relocation couldn’t have come at a better time for us. We finally have the space not only for larger shopping areas, but for expanded storage as well. Extra storage gives us the capacity to stretch our donation dollars as we are able to purchase items in bulk from the Northern Illinois Food Bank, take advantage of wholesale pricing for things like diapers, and have the ability to bring the pantry van indoors for unloading and in inclement weather.”

Limited parking is available in the lot at 916 First Street. Additional public parking is available in the public parking lot on the 900 block of west Wilson Street, west of Van Nortwick, between the orthodontist office and the auto parts store. Street parking is also available.

Donation boxes will be available if guests would like to bring shelf-stable food items to donate to help “pack the pantry” for the busy holiday season. Gently used Batavia spirit wear items will also be collected.

For more information on the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry & Clothes Closet, including how you can donate or volunteer, please visit www.bataviafoodpantry.org.

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The Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry and Clothes Closet is a not-for-profit 501(C)(3) organization founded by local churches. Its purpose is to serve the needs of our community (Batavia and Batavia Township). Those in need of assistance can register for a card and shop the Food Pantry once per month and the Clothes Closet twice per month. For information on receiving services, volunteering, or donating, please visit their website at https://bataviafoodpantry.org/