HCS Family Services

Empowering Families. Changing Lives.

Food and Fund Drives

Join Our Virtual Food Drive

Help us continue our mission of providing food to those in need in our community.
Join our Virtual Food Drive. Donate. Start a Team. Join a Team. #fillacart #fillaheart

About the Campaign

We’re addressing food insecurity within our community.

Since the onset of the pandemic, HCS Family Services has experienced an increase of 170%. Our doors have remained opened as we have scaled and redefined our operations to support our neighbors in need.

Today, we are asking you to join us in this work. Our mission is to spread awareness and raise money to fight hunger head-on.

Your involvement is critical to our success and solving this issue.

Executive Director’s Update

Full Bellies. Full Hearts.

During the Thanksgiving week, we were visited by more than 300 neighbors in need seeking food support for their Thanksgiving meals. Thanks to everyone who supported our effort with their time, talents, and treasures.

A Bird’s Eye View of the Need

At the onset of the pandemic, we shared with you the lines of cars that wrap around our block in Hinsdale. The lines continue to grow and we are now rounding the fourth corner of our block with folks seeking food support. The need has increased by 170% since the onset of the pandemic.

In the coming weeks, as we move towards electronic curbside registration, we will invite our neighbors to visit during specific timeframes. As a core value, we believe that nobody’s time is best spent waiting for food. In addition, we value our Hinsdale neighbors and thank everyone in town for continued patience and understanding of our long lines as we navigate these challenging times together.

Watch how curbside distribution allows us to safely and efficiently provide nutritious food to our neighbors in need in this video taken by former Youth Board President George Bull of GB Aerial Photography.

Working Together to Serve Our Community

At the onset of the pandemic, leaders of Anne M. Jeans Elementary School in Willowbrook, where our school food pantry is located, generously donated the use of their entire gymnasium – the size of two full basketball courts – for our food storage and pack-out preparation.

Over the past months, we have worked to transform, deep clean, and reorganize our Hinsdale Pantry so that all food storage and shelf-stable packaging can be moved from Anne M. Jeans Elementary gymnasium to the basement of the Memorial Building in Hinsdale. Big thanks to all the people involved in making our move a reality, most notably the Hinsdale Central Hockey Club, who moved all our items out of the gym last Tuesday.

Looking back, we loved our temporary home at the Anne M. Jeans Elementary School but we knew it was just a place to rest during the pandemic and not a place to stay forever. We are thankful to Superintendent Tom Schneider of the Community Consolidated District 180 and Principle Tracy Richey of the Anne M. Jeans Elementary School for allowing us to take temporary residence in the school gymnasium.

For anyone needing food support in the Willowbrook area, please come visit us each Wednesday from 4:30 and 5:30 p.m. Each week we serve upwards of 150 neighbors and are there to serve!

If you, your friends or family need help putting food on your table, please visit our Food Pantries page for our distribution days, times and locations.

With gratitude,

Amy Wickstrom-signature

Amy Wickstrom
Executive Director

Appreciating Our Volunteers

HCS Volunteer packs potatoes

Dear Friends,

Like no other time in HCS Family Services’ 83-year history, this past month has reminded us just how valuable our volunteers are. As we’ve had to limit the number of volunteers at the pantry and change our operation methods from a client-choice shopping experience to drive-through food distributions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we are missing the smiles, passion and camaraderie of the nearly 100 community members who, in normal times make our operation work so effectively each week.

With only two part-time and three full-time staff members, our organization is dependent upon our volunteers to provide nutritious food to the 1,000 families who relied on us last year – a number than is rapidly growing as a result of the current health crisis. Our volunteers are like family to us, and it is truly difficult for us not to be together.

We extend our gratitude to those volunteers who have had to stay home as we cut back on the number of people lending a hand to maximize the safety of our volunteers, staff and guests. We know it is hard for you not to be involved and we look forward to seeing you again soon.

We also express our deep thanks to those who have selflessly put themselves in the front lines of distribution – heeding every precaution by wearing masks, disinfecting and social distancing – to safely ensure our neighbors at risk of hunger have access to the nutritious food they need.

And while we won’t be able to tell you in person how much your selfless donations of time and talent mean to us, we want to take this opportunity during Volunteer Appreciation Month to send a hearty thank you to each and every one of you. Whether you brighten our guests’ days with your smiles and helpful assistance during shopping hours; drive our Food Rescue van to pick up donations from retailers; help us unload, sort and shelf donations; plan events to bring awareness and funding to our mission; or support our efforts, you exemplify the spirit that makes our community special.

We appreciate you, and look forward to when we can celebrate together.

Sincerely,

Nancy Nyheim signature

Nancy Nyheim
Volunteer Coordinator

  • HCS Van Driver unpacks HCS Van
  • HCS Volunteer prepares food
  • HCS Volunteer packs potatoes
  • HCS Volunteer stocks HCS refrigerator

Need, Gratitude and Hope during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Dear Friends,

Last week, long lines of cars extended several blocks as neighbors in need arrived to receive free milk, eggs, produce, meat, bread and non-perishable foods at one of our drive-through distributions in Hinsdale and Willowbrook. We welcomed former guests as well as new families at risk of hunger for the first time as they face unemployment, school closings and uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

We’re grateful for the staff and volunteers who are working so hard to share food at this time of great need.

We are grateful to all those who have provided generous financial support. These gifts are having immediate impact. As demand for our services grows, we’re working with Northern Illinois Food Bank and other suppliers to purchase incremental food for our two food pantries. Last week, we received 8,000 pounds of extra food that is being quickly shared with our neighbors in need. 

Your donations sustain our work during this period of great need. Your gift to HCS Family Services will be stretched to provide nutritious dairy, eggs, produce, protein and more – the foods that are most needed to promote health for those at risk in our community. Now more than ever, your gift is providing hope to our neighbors.

We sincerely thank you for your support during this trying time.

With gratitude,

Stan Cook - Signature

Stan Cook
Executive Director

Donate to HCS today
Sign up for our newsletter

Help Us Put Food on the Table of a Hungry Neighbor

HCS Family Services provides a turkey to a guest

In this season of giving, HCS Family Services invites you to help us put food on the table of a hungry neighbor.

You can make a difference for those who struggle with hunger in our community. With your support, a parent can put a healthy meal on their family’s table. A student can focus on learning rather than their hunger at school. A senior citizen won’t have to choose between eating and paying medical bills. 

To the surprise of many, hunger is an acute issue in our own backyard. Our county has the 2nd largest hungry population in Illinois. One in six northern Illinois children face hunger. Senior hunger is growing quickly.

Do you agree that everyone deserves access to healthy, nutritious foods? Help us get food to those who need it most by making a tax-deductible donation.

Our pantry attendance has grown over 40% in the last six months, so we need your support now more than ever.  Your donation will support the 1,000 families from 24 local communities who use our food pantries in Hinsdale and the Anne M. Jeans Elementary School in Willowbrook.

HCS Family Services was founded in 1937 by community leaders to provide the basic necessities of life to those who needed it most. Today, we ask you to support our founders’ vision with a donation to our local hunger relief work. 

Together, we can do mighty things in our community. With your gift, you’ll join our many community organizations, grocery food rescue partners and 400 volunteers who work so hard to end local hunger and strengthen our community.