(Naperville, IL — April 29, 2026) Loaves & Fishes Community Services today announced the public launch of its $15 million campaign, Nourish Together, a bold effort to expand food access, strengthen partnerships, and build the capacity needed to meet rising need across the region.

The campaign comes at a critical moment, as food insecurity has risen by more than 50 percent in DuPage, Kane, Kendall, and Will Counties since 2019, impacting working families, children, and older adults across the region.

As the largest food pantry in Illinois, Loaves & Fishes currently serves about 10,000 individuals each week through its hub and spoke model, anchored by a Food Distribution Hub in Aurora and supported by thirteen community-based distribution sites, including a Grocery Market in Naperville. Nourish Together will create the capacity to serve two to three times as many neighbors while strengthening the regional network of partners working to address hunger.

The campaign has already received significant lead support, including a $5 million Impact Award from Endeavor Health’s Community Investment Fund and $2.5 million from DuPage County to support Hub 2.0, the expansion of Loaves & Fishes’ Aurora Food Distribution Hub. These leadership gifts provide critical momentum and reflect the power of partnership at the heart of Nourish Together. Now, Loaves & Fishes is inviting the broader community to help bring this vision to life and ensure more neighbors have access to healthy food and support beyond food.

“As our community’s needs continue to grow, so must our response,” said Mike Havala, CEO & President of Loaves & Fishes. “Nourish Together is about more than expanding our capacity—it’s about partnering together to ensure every neighbor has access to healthy food and the support they need to thrive.”

The Nourish Together Campaign will focus on three key priorities:

• Expanding the Food Distribution Hub (Hub 2.0): A 32,000-square-foot expansion will increase the Aurora facility to 62,000 square feet, enabling greater storage, improved distribution, and enhanced collaboration with partner pantries through shared resources and co-buying opportunities.
  
• Growing Access Through the Spoke Network: Expansion of the organization’s spoke network will bring healthy food closer to where people live by creating and strengthening neighborhood access points in areas of high unmet need, reducing barriers for families across the region.
  
• Strengthening CARES Programs: Expansion of CARES, Loaves & Fishes’ wraparound services, will help more families access personalized support and critical resources related to financial stability, employment, mental health, and overall well-being, helping them move toward long-term stability and self-sufficiency.

“At a time when more families are facing difficult choices, Nourish Together is a call for the whole community to help meet this moment,” said Megan Lynch, Executive Vice President of Advancement. “Together, we can expand capacity, strengthen partnerships, and help more neighbors access healthy food and support beyond food.”

To help launch the campaign, the Ronald L. McDaniel Foundation has committed a generous matching gift of up to $500,000, doubling the impact of donations. Gifts will be matched dollar for dollar up to $35,000 per donor, with a total match of up to $500,000.

The community is invited to join the Nourish Together Campaign and help ensure more neighbors have access to the healthy food and support they need to thrive by visiting loaves-fishes.org/nourishtogether.

About Loaves and Fishes Community Services

Loaves & Fishes Community Services is a registered 501(3) organization serving about 10,000 people a week by providing healthy food and impactful programs for self-sufficiency. It is the largest food pantry in the state of Illinois. Clients receive a healthy variety of food, including fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, and eggs. The Loaves & Fishes CARES programs help clients become more self-sufficient through programs focusing on Physical Health, Financial Health, Employment Health, and Mental Health. Loaves & Fishes serves DuPage, Will, Kane, and Kendall counties. Loaves & Fishes Grocery Market and administrative offices are located in Naperville, and their Food Distribution Hub is located in Aurora. For more information, visit loaves-fishes.org.