The Power Of Neighbors Helping Neighbors

Building Community at the WeGo Market

Two miles down the road from St. Andrew Church, volunteers spend their Tuesdays preparing for and running the WeGo Community Market. In the morning, a group of 5-6 volunteers meets the delivery from Northern Illinois Food Bank and gets straight to work unloading boxes and crates and stocking shelves and coolers. Later that afternoon, a second group arrives to conduct intake and support in-person shopping.

“I love working here,” said Juan Pacindo, who has lived in West Chicago for 35 years. “It’s good people and a good environment, and I like helping the people in my community.”

Juan started volunteering with the morning crew when he retired almost two years ago. He was looking for something to do, and his sister introduced him to the WeGo Community Market. Giving back to the community he had called home for over three decades resonated with him.

“It’s very important to volunteer, and it’s good to help people without expecting anything in return,” he said. “I was raised to do that, help people.”

Supporting Each Other at St. Andrew Lutheran Church

Every Friday morning, Bob and Diane Hasty and up to 15 other volunteers diligently sort and pack boxes full of culturally-preferred foods at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in West Chicago in preparation for the Pop-Up Market on Saturday mornings. The couple have been coming religiously since the Market began –three years ago.

“We knew they needed help, and we’re retired, so we gured why not?” he said. “And it’s just a good thing to do.”

The people, though, have kept them coming back on Fridays and even on Saturdays during distribution. Everyone, Bob says, is friendly and nice. No one complains; they look out for each other.

When Bob and Diane come on Saturdays, he usually directs traf c while she conducts a basic intake process. During one particularly cold distribution day, someone offered Diane a hat to keep her warm. On another extremely rainy day, someone offered her an umbrella to keep dry.

For PRC’s Manager of Pantry Operations Kiya Beckett, the Hasty’s and others’ efforts are critical to reach a growing need within the community.

“We have served more than 550 families every Saturday, and we need a consistent and reliable support group,” she said. “These groups from Geneva Lutheran Church and Trinity Lutheran are great. They show up and make this operation possible.”

Moved by Faith and Shared Values

While all of the volunteers come to PRC with different life experiences, their shared values through their faith traditions inspire them to care for their community.

“This is a great opportunity to share and show we care,” said Gary Olson, a retired Lutheran pastor. “Caring is an important value for us.”

“Food is love in a sense,” Beckett said. “It’s how you connect and how we gather, mindful of what and how much we have.”