Copyright Joliet, IL Patch
The West Deerfield Township Food Pantry provides year-round support to residents facing hardship. DEERFIELD, IL — Amid increasing food prices and benefits from the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program potentially ending, the West Deerfield Township Food Pantry says the demand for its services is "growing dramatically," according to the Village of Deerfield. The West Deerfield Township Food Pantry, which operates entirely on community generosity, provides year-round support to the residents of Deerfield, Bannockburn, and portions of Lake Forest, Highland Park, and Riverwoods. The pantry is located at 601 Deerfield Road. Donations of non-perishable food items, cleaning and personal care products are accepted at the pantry. Cash donations are used to provide gift cards to local grocery stores. On Friday, one day before nearly 2 million Illinois residents were poised to lose food benefits amid the ongoing government shutdown, two federal judges ordered that the Trump administration must pull from contingency funds to keep SNAP running amid the government shutdown, the Associated Press is reporting. RELATED: Judges Order SNAP Benefits Must Continue — What It Means For IL On Thursday, Gov. JB Pritzker signed an executive order to send $20 million in state emergency funds to food banks in the state. The funding from the executive order was set to support seven food banks that supply more than 2,600 food pantries statewide. The goal of the West Deerfield Township Food Pantry is to cooperate with other agencies and partners to connect those in need with available resources. Beyond nutritional support, these can include financial assistance, health care, housing, medical care and family counseling.
