The Illinois Valley Food Pantry is moving to a bigger facility. The pantry had been renting space in LaSalle. It's bought a larger building in neighboring Peru at a cost of $585,000. The new space will allow the pantry to double in size.
A capital campaign is launching to cover the cost of the new building and renovation expenses.
Illinois Valley Food Pantry Executive Director Mary Joe Credi says the larger space is needed because of the increasing demand for food services.
"We have been in need for freezer and cooler 'walk-ins.' Now we will have the space to get them in order for us to provide proper storage for our perishable food items that we receive," Credi said.
Credi hopes the new building will be operational by around Sept. 1, 2025.
"We've been looking for a few years," Credi said. "I'm so grateful that we finally found a building that will be able to provide service for our community in need so we will never have to move again."
She says the organization is also looking for volunteers to help with the coming move.
On average, the Food Pantry helps about 750 families per month from a dozen nearby towns and cities.
Community Corps Correspondent George McCaskey and WNIJ's Jenna Dooley contributed to this report. Learn more about WNIJ's Community Corps Correspondent program here.