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Loaves & Fishes proposes $8 million ‘Hub 2’ to double cold storage as demand for food aid surges
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Summary
At a DuPage County Board meeting, Loaves & Fishes described tripling demand since 2022, a hub-and-spoke model now at capacity, and plans for an $8 million expansion to add 30,000 square feet and quadruple cold storage to serve more residents and partner pantries.
Loaves & Fishes told the DuPage County Board on June 24 that rising local need has filled its central distribution hub and that the nonprofit plans an $8,000,000 “Hub 2” expansion to double capacity and add cold storage.
Mike Evales, chief executive of Loaves & Fishes Community Services, told the board the agency now serves about 10,000 people a week — up from roughly 3,000 three years ago — and that the current Aurora hub, a 30,000-square-foot distribution center, is at full capacity. “By having the hub and spoke model, we’ve been able to expand and scale what we do,” Evales said. “We’ve been able to reduce our cost to serve each client by 40%.”
The proposed Hub 2 would add another 30,000 square feet, include a substantial expansion of refrigerated space — Evales described plans to “quadruple our cold storage” — and is estimated to cost about $8 million. Evales said Loaves & Fishes expects to fundraise for the project and plans to allow other pantries to use the expanded hub space at no charge; three local pantries have already signed documents indicating interest in shared use. He estimated the timeline to ribbon cutting is roughly two years.
Why it matters: board members and staff described food insecurity as a growing, countywide problem tied to cost-of-living pressures and federal funding volatility. The hub expansion would increase the system’s ability to deliver perishable, nutritious food and to scale distribution to smaller “spoke” sites across DuPage County.
Board members asked logistical and partnership questions. One county board member suggested routing fresh-produce deliveries directly to the Aurora hub rather than to the Northern Illinois Food Bank and then shipping south, saying that could speed distribution and take advantage of Loaves & Fishes’ cold-storage capacity. Vice Chair Garcia described recent funder coordination and said the county’s prior investments in refrigerated transport helped get perishables into local networks more easily.
Evales emphasized collaborative aims: Loaves & Fishes will lead building and fundraising efforts and invite other pantries to share the facility and cold storage. He said the hub-and-spoke model enables online orders, curbside pickup and other client-facing options; he noted the organization has fulfilled more than 30,000 online orders since launching that service.
Discussion only: the presentation was for information and partnership-building; no formal board appropriation or contract for Hub 2 was proposed or approved at the meeting. Several board members encouraged staff to explore coordination and logistics with existing county programs and the Northern Illinois Food Bank.
Community impact and next steps: if built as described, Hub 2 would expand regional cold-storage capacity and increase the amount of perishable, healthful food available to residents served by Loaves & Fishes and partner pantries. Loaves & Fishes said it will continue fundraising and outreach to partner organizations; the board discussion identified county staff and committee follow-up as the next step.
