Get Food

Effective July 1, 2025

• At 1938 S. Mannheim Road, park on the north side of the building & come into the building – doors will open at 4:30 pm Wednesday & 9:00 am Saturday.  Do not arrive before 4:00 pm on Wednesdays or 8:30 am on Saturdays. Line holding is strictly prohibited. Individuals must be physically present in line to maintain their position. To reduce your wait time, we encourage you to arrive later during the hours we are open.
• You must enter the parking lot from Mannheim Road and exit through the alley, so plan your route accordingly. You must park between the parking lot space lines, not over them.  If the parking lot is full, you must leave and come back at a later time.  In addition, you must follow any directions given by our parking lot attendants.
• Inside the building, children must always stay next to their parent/guardian.
• No Weapons or Firearms are allowed on the premises.
• To receive certain items that are not provided to our pantry by the GCFD/USDA, you MUST prove residency in our Priority Service Area (Bellwood, Berkeley, Broadview, Hillside, Hines, La Grange Park, Westchester, & Western Springs) each visit by showing the following:
  • A valid, not expired, driver’s license or state ID card with an address in our Priority Service Area, OR
  • A valid, not expired, driver’s license or state ID card with an address NOT IN our service area, and a secondary identification: a current (within the past 60 days) utility bill or rental agreement/lease/mortgage bill with your name (must match state ID) with an address in our service area. Utility bills accepted include gas, electric, water, refuse, recycling, phone and cable/internet, OR
  • A valid Passport and a secondary identification, as defined above.
  • Firearm Owners ID cards, fishing licenses and other recreational IDs will not be accepted.

These items include, but are not limited to, Birthday Bags, any extras given for larger families, Pet Food (see below) & participation in the Secret Santa program.

• • You must show proof of residency with valid identification (see above) each time you visit the Pantry and receive pet food from our Wet Nose Pet Food Pantry. NO EXCEPTIONS.  The Wet Nose Pantry is open the same time as the Westchester Food Pantry for clients who reside within our Priority Service Area. Please let the volunteers know you have a furry family member(s) when registering, and you will be given pet food.  Just like the regular pantry, the Wet Nose Pantry will service you once each calendar month.

• We serve each address (client household) ONCE per calendar month, regardless of how many people live at that address.  When you check in, please make sure ALL members of your household are registered. 

• Households that do not comply with the one-visit-per-month rule will not be served.
• You will be provided with a grocery cart full of healthy food options and a volunteer will help load the groceries into your car.  We offer a hybrid shopping model, meaning you will receive pre-bagged food along with multiple client choice items.
• Households who intentionally try to violate any Westchester Food Pantry policy will be at risk of being banned from using our services.
• Any client who is physically or verbally abusive to other clients or volunteers and/or creating any type of nuisance will be asked to leave.
• If you must take a call, please step outside.  Phone conversations are prohibited in the registration room.
• The Westchester Food Pantry is a volunteer-run organization that relies on donations to stock its shelves. We do not have unlimited food resources. We reserve the right to limit/refuse service at any time for any reason.
• We are not affiliated with the Village of Westchester. We are an immigrant safe location.