Copyright Joliet, IL Patch
"People have been saying that we are throwing away food because families are afraid to visit us," the pantry said. ""This is ... untrue." BATAVIA, IL — The Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry and Clothes Closet is setting the record straight on rumors that have recently spread. "It has come to our attention that some people have been saying that we are throwing away food because families are afraid to visit us," the pantry said in a Wednesday afternoon post on Facebook, shared by the City of Batavia account. "This is completely untrue." Officials said the pantry neither throws away food nor are families afraid to come to the closet and pantry, which recently moved to a permanent location at 916 First Street. Read what the not-for-profit organization said: Let's address this in two parts: first, people have not been afraid to come to the Pantry and Closet. We have seen more families than ever in the past few weeks. We also have procedures in place to deliver food to families who might need that service. And thanks to the generosity of our community, we are prepared to meet the challenges ahead with well-stocked shelves. Second, as for "throwing away food" — we are a part of the charitable food network. Much of our food comes from donations from our partner grocery stores and the community. Every donation must meet rigorous standards for quality and safety. These rules are in place to ensure that families receive healthy, nutritious, safe food. We DO throw food away - food that does not meet the quality and safety standards required by the Northern Illinois Food Bank and Kane County Health Department. We only give away "the good stuff" — food that we would give to our own families. The Food Pantry is not doing anything differently now than we were doing a month ago, or a year ago, or 5 years ago. RELATED: Batavia Pantry Moves To Permanent Location The Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry serves roughly 1,300 people each month, including 400 families, with 12 percent of clients being seniors and 35 percent children, Patch previously reported. The majority of the pantry's food comes from rescue efforts — adding up to 350,000 pounds in 2024 — as pantry vans visit partner grocery stores four times per week, the organization said. Last year, about 100,000 pounds of food came from community donations and food drives. Staff are asking anyone who is spreading the rumor to reach out — "We are happy to educate anyone who has questions," the post reads — and volunteer for the pantry. "We know that ultimately these concerns come from a place of love for our neighbors, but these kinds of comments often do more damage than good," staff said.
