With a reported mission to change hunger to hope within its community, Willow Creek Community Church of South Barrington, Ill., worked with Chicago-based Pepper Construction to build a 37,000-square-foot addition to its church campus in 2012. The addition, designed by Pasma Group Architects of Evanston, Ill., allows for more than 2,000 volunteers to serve the community with food, children’s clothing, vehicle mechanics, legal consultation, employment counseling, health screenings, dental and eye care, and English as a Second Language classes.
The Care Center is set up as a welcoming, service-oriented store, where visitors are greeted and needs are addressed in a dignified manner.
Backstory and forward growth
During the economic downtown [beginning 2007], the number of guest visits to the church's old Care Center grew by a staggering 307%. The amount of food gleaned from local businesses expanded by 685%, the number of volunteers increased by 400%, and a partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository allowed the Care Center to maximize the food it obtained.
Today, more than 2,000 volunteers serve at Willow's Care Center on a regular basis. They represent a collaboration between young and old, church members and community members, young adults with special needs, seniors groups, and corporate partners, with each volunteer bringing a unique contribution to the mission, Willow Creek Community Church representatives report.
Images courtesy of willowcreekcarecenter.org.
