Community Collective has partnered with several local agencies to create the Relief Coalition, an organization that will help supply food to families affected by COVID-19.
Who is The Relief Coalition Helping
The Relief Coalition will help community members in Aurora and Naperville now looking for help.
“We’re focused on people in the restaurant industry, retail industry, entertainment industry, movie theaters, and sporting venues,” said Brandon Lyon, the founder of Community Collective. “Our goal is to help people who were recently laid off.”
Local Agencies Offering Help
The Relief Coalition is using the Marie Wilkinson Food Pantry in Aurora to help distribute Relief Boxes. Community members are welcome to pick up care packages that contain food, toiletries, and other items on Tuesdays from 3 to 6 p.m.
“Everything that we do is all curbside pick-up,” said Lyon. “People show up, we check them in, they pop their trunk and we put a box in their trunk. So there’s no contact between our volunteers and our guests.”
Thanks to donations from the Northern Illinois Food Bank, on Tuesday, the Relief Coalition provided food to 351 people, amounting to around 3,000 lbs. worth of food.
Community Help
“If you know someone who is in need and might not ask for help, we encourage a person to refer a friend. If you refer someone, you’re able to come and pick up a box for them and deliver it to them,” said Lyon.
The goal is to expand and work with other food banks and pantries throughout Aurora and Naperville because more layoffs are expected due to the recently extended stay-at-home order.
The organization is asking for donations and volunteers. To learn more, visit the group’s website.
Naperville News 17’s Christian Canzial reports.
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