EDGEWATER — A Far North Side food pantry is now serving neighbors at its new Edgewater home.
Care For Real has moved into its new space at 5838 N. Broadway after renovating the building and its adjacent parking lot over the past year, said Executive Director Gregory Gross. The food pantry held a ribbon cutting over the weekend to celebrate the new building.
The food pantry, which also has a location in Rogers Park, realized it needed a larger home after seeing years of increased demand from neighbors, Gross said. There’s been a 400 percent increase in need since 2020, he said.
The new building has more than twice the space as the previous location, meaning the food pantry will be able to serve clients with “so much more dignity,” Gross said.
“It makes a huge difference to have a space designed for us,” he said.
The first floor is mostly for food distribution, with walk-in fridges and freezers, while the second floor includes staff offices, a break room for staff and volunteers, a meeting room and the food pantry’s clothing closet, Gross said.
The first floor has a mostly open floor plan with shelves on wheels and tarps to section off areas. Gross said the COVID-19 pandemic taught the food pantry that open, flexible space means they can pivot if needed, he said.
The parking lot on the south end of the building was renovated to serve as both a traditional parking lot — meaning the food pantry’s vans could finally park on-site — and a plaza for neighbors to wait during food distribution, Gross said. It also allows for delivery vans to drive up to the building for unloading.
So far, the reception from neighbors has been “unbelievably positive,” Gross said.
Pantry distribution times at the new Edgewater location are 4-6 p.m. Monday, 9 a.m.-noon Wednesday and 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday. At the Rogers Park pantry, 1545 W. Morse Ave., the distribution hours are noon-2 p.m. and 4-6 p.m. Thursday. Neighbors who live in qualifying zip codes can come once per week. More information on who Care For Real serves is online.
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