Loaves and Fishes Community Services received a $5 million grant from Endeavor Health after being selected as the recipient of the organization’s Community Investment Fund Impact Award.
Officials from the nonprofit and those from Endeavor Health gathered to celebrate the award at Loaves and Fishes’ Aurora hub on Wednesday.
“We are so honored to be the recipients of this award, especially in its inaugural year,” said Mike Havala, CEO of Loaves and Fishes.
Funding to support Loaves and Fishes’ Hub 2.0
The nonprofit, which works to provide food for those in need, will receive $1 million per year for five years to support the expansion of its Aurora facility — adding 32,000 square feet — and the improvement of overall services provided to the community.
“This fantastic award, we will use it to build our expansion to our hub. We’re calling it Hub 2.0. Hub 2.0 is about increasing the number of people that we can serve by a very significant number,” said Havala. “We already serve 10,000 people a week. We’ll be able to double or triple that number once we have the expansion belt. In addition, we’re adding a lot more cold storage. We’re quadrupling the cold storage that we have.”
Along with the facility expansion, the funding will also enable shared storage between Loaves and Fishes and their pantry partners, increasing collaboration.
Havala took guests on a tour of the facility, where they got a closer look at operations and saw volunteers at work. He also showed the guests where the planned expansion of the cold storage area will be.
Supporting community health beyond hospital walls
According to Jeff Zakem, system director for community impact and equity at Endeavor Health, providing support to organizations like Loaves and Fishes allows them to play a greater role in maintaining the health and well-being of those they serve.
“Our mission is to help everyone in our communities be their best. And we know that we provide exceptional care in our doctors’ offices and our hospitals. To care for the patients in a holistic way, we need to think about what happens outside of those walls. So, by helping support organizations like Loaves and Fishes, that allows us to play a role in that broader community health,” said Zakem.
One Loaves and Fishes volunteer, Fari Barhamand, a retired physician who worked at Endeavor Health Edward Hospital in Naperville, shared Zakem’s sentiments, saying the funding highlights a commitment to public health.
“Their support is wonderful…It’s a way of helping people, and that’s what Endeavor Health does every day,” he said.
Since its launch in 2022, Endeavor Health’s CIF program has awarded more than $30 million to 54 local partnerships, including Loaves and Fishes.
The nonprofit previously received CIF awards in 2022 and 2024 to expand its mobile food program and to extend hours at its Naperville grocery market. Those awards totaled more than $600,000.
Havala said Endeavor Health’s continued assistance has allowed Loaves and Fishes and similar organizations to keep making a difference in their communities.
“The community support that Endeavor Health is providing with its Community Investment Fund is incredibly impactful throughout many different facets of the community. And it’s just absolutely moving to see organizations like Endeavor Health support the community in such a big and meaningful, and impactful way,” he said.
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