Basic Organization Information
OAK PARK RIVER FOREST FOOD PANTRY
- Physical Address:
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Oak Park, IL
60301
- EIN:
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27-2018997
- Web URL:
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oprffoodpantry.org
- NTEE Category:
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K Agriculture, Food, Nutrition
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K31 Food Banks, Food Pantries
- Year Founded:
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2010
- Ruling Year:
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2010
- How This Organization Is Funded:
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Individuals
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Congregations
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Grants
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Mission Statement
The Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry's mission is to work together as a community to reduce hunger locally through direct hunger relief services, hunger awareness education and advocacy to influence anti-hunger policy.
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Impact Statement
Direct Service to provide Hunger Relief:
Reduce clients' hunger
Provide high quality food
Provide benefits counseling for clients to access other hunger-relief and entitlement programs
Connect clients to other agencies which provide additional social services
Community Engagement and Education to Inspire and Motivate:
Increase awareness of hunger in our midst and encourage action
Change outdated perceptions of hunger
Connect community members with meaningful volunteer and philanthropic activity
Enable volunteers/donors to become invested in the Pantry knowing their gifts are respected and well spent
Help community members see the Pantry as a vital community asset worthy of their support further connecting them to the community in which they live
Advocacy to influence change:
Influence and educate legislators regarding community hunger issues
Influence level of state and national funding for anti-hunger programs
Improve state's use of available federal funds
Effect broader public debate on hunger relief efforts.
Revenue and Expenses
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Financial Statements
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Chief Executive
Kathy Russell
Term:
Since
Feb
2010
Chief Executive Profile:
Kathy Russell, a nurse and a lawyer, has over 20 years of experience in advocacy. First as a pediatric nurse and nursing faculty member, caring for, teaching and advocating on behalf of her patients and students, then as a trial lawyer advocating for persons injured via medical malpractice. For the last 5 years, Ms. Russell has turned her advocacy to those experiencing food insecurity. She participated in the management of Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry during the most dramatic growth of the Pantry, 450% growth in client visits and a 900% increase in budget size in 5 years, as well as separation from parent organization and establishment of a new 501c3 entity for the Pantry.
CEO/Executive Director Statement:
The Pantry began in the early 1970s, when a small group of volunteers recognized how easily hunger can happen to anyone. Today, up to 70% of Americans are at risk: they are getting along okay, but then their work hours are cut back, or the car breaks down, or their purse gets stolen. Suddenly, they can’t make ends meet. These are the reasons people seek food assistance, and this is the need the Pantry began serving 35 years ago. As need in the surrounding communities grew, the Pantry’s service boundaries grew with it to include portions of the city of Chicago and most of its near-west suburbs. In the Pantry’s early years, food relief consisted of nonperishable items only. Today, our clients also receive meat, bread, dairy, and fresh produce. Prior to the establishment of the Pantry, there were few options for food relief in the area. Today, the Pantry fills a very real service void in our community, the missing piece in our local safety net.
Officers for Fiscal Year
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Highest Paid Employees & Their Compensation
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Program:
Food Pantry
- Budget:
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$472,100
- Category:
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Food, Agriculture & Nutrition
- Population Served:
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General Public/Unspecified
Program Description:
The Pantry provided hunger relief during two distribution sessions each week, which include morning, evening, and weekend hours in order to meet client needs. Each client is given a five- to seven-day supply of nutritious food through a “client choice” model (implemented in October 2010), in which families choose their own food rather than receiving pre-prepared packages. This not only emphasizes dignity for our clients, but also cuts down on waste and increases our ability to serve more families. In 2010, we distributed over 570,000 pounds of food and served 26% more people than in 2009.
Program Long-Term Success:
Program Short-Term Success:
Program Success Monitored by:
Program Success Examples:
Funding Needs
Why Give a Monetary Donation?
Because for every one dollar given to the food pantry, we can purchase eleven dollars of food.
Working with our hunger relief partners, the Food Pantry can purchase food at a dramatic discount. A typical food allotment costs $63 at a retail grocery store, while the Pantry can purchase the same items at a cost of only $5.41.
Volunteer Needs
Volunteers are the backbone of Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry, participating in every aspect of our operations. In order to serve 1400 hungry families each month, the Food Pantry schedules nearly 1200 volunteer hours for tasks ranging from stocking shelves, to rescuing food at local grocery stores, to serving clients at weekly food distributions.
Request for In-Kind Contributions
Hygiene products are often requested items. The Pantry does not purchase these items, so donations of this kind are extremely helpful.