The West Suburban Community Pantry wants to double its footprint in Woodridge, where demand for food assistance has outgrown the nonprofit's current facilities.

CEO Maeven Sipes laid out the case for expansion at an Oct. 14 "State of the Pantry" event at the pantry's Hobson Valley Dr. location, first reported by Shaw Local's My Suburban Life. Dozens attended the two-hour gathering, which included remarks from Sipes, a video testimonial and tours of the facility.

The pantry currently operates about 12,000 square feet across three sites. Sipes estimates it needs roughly double that space.

Plans remain in early stages.

Sipes said a new or refurbished facility is "still in the preparation stages" and that the pantry wants to stay close to its current location near Route 53 and Hobson Road, citing proximity to major roadways, donors and supporters.

Rising demand

The pantry logged 51,600 visits last year from residents of Woodridge, Lisle, Bolingbrook and other communities in DuPage and Will counties. It provided 3.1 million meals from 3.7 million pounds of food, according to a news release from the organization. Demand has tripled since the pantry first opened, Sipes said.

The pantry averaged 4,000 visits per month over the past year, according to a separate Shaw Local report published in April.

In January 2026, the pantry received a $20,000 emergency grant from the DuPage Foundation to help address rising hunger in the county.

Sipes told attendees that extreme weather compounds the strain on the current building. "Extreme weather makes this building … unusable," she said, referring to how winter cold and summer heat create poor conditions for workers and food storage.

Food insecurity in DuPage County

One in 10 DuPage County residents can be food insecure, Sipes said at the event.

The pantry is not alone in outgrowing its space. The People's Resource Center, which has locations in Wheaton and Westmont, completed an $8 million renovation in 2025 that combined two buildings into an 11,000-square-foot facility, Shaw Local reported. In Aurora, the Loaves & Fishes food pantry broke ground this year on a hub that will double its size.

Beyond food, the West Suburban Community Pantry offers social service benefit assistance, housing support, pet food, household cleaning products and personal care items. Some sites include clothes closets with donated clothing.

The pantry relies entirely on community and corporate support, food from Northern Illinois Food Bank and grocery store partners, and hundreds of volunteers, according to the organization. It accepts donations from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday at 6809 Hobson Valley Dr., Suite 118, Woodridge.