Carpentersville, IL — January 19, 2026 — The D300 Food Pantry held its annual meeting this week, bringing together board members, volunteers, donors, and community partners to reflect on a year marked by both significant challenges and extraordinary community support.

Over the past year, the D300 Food Pantry navigated a number of complex issues impacting the families it serves, including periods of increased ICE enforcement that caused fear and reduced pantry visits, a temporary freeze on SNAP benefits, and the Meadowdale apartment fires that displaced families and created urgent need. In each case, the pantry was able to respond quickly and compassionately due to strong community partnerships and volunteer support.

In 2025, the D300 Food Pantry served 8,253 unique children and 3,154 unique households, representing families who rely on the pantry throughout the year. Volunteers logged 7,417 hours tracked through the pantry’s volunteer management system. Pantry leadership noted that these figures reflect only logged hours and do not capture the countless additional hours contributed by board members, committee leaders, and key volunteers working behind the scenes.

Beyond food distribution, the pantry continued to advance its mission of nurturing a healthier, happier, and stronger community through supplemental programs and events. Highlights included a Back-to-School Supply Event and Fun Fair to help students start the school year prepared and confident, as well as the Holiday Shop, which allowed families to select gifts for their children with dignity during the holiday season.

During the meeting, the pantry also recognized outstanding Community Partner Award recipients for their exceptional support:

• Jersey Mike’s particularly the Carpentersville location, for ongoing generosity and engagement
• Willow Creek, recognized for its continued partnership and commitment to local families
• The Seigle Foundation, for its impactful philanthropic support

“These partnerships are essential to our ability to respond in times of crisis and to continue expanding programs that support the whole family,” Nikki Kuhlman, Board Vice President shared during the meeting.

The annual meeting also included the election of board officers for the coming year. The D300 Food Pantry is pleased to announce the following board leadership:

• Chuck Bumbales, President
• Nikki Kuhlman, Vice President
• Jeff Davis, continuing as Secretary
• Jill Scarpino, continuing as Treasurer

Looking ahead, the pantry also shared upcoming initiatives, including its winter fundraiser, Coldest Night of the Year, an upcoming golf outing, expanded volunteer opportunities, and the launch of a new D300 Food Pantry logo merchandise store.

The D300 Food Pantry extends its sincere gratitude to all volunteers, donors, partners, and supporters who made this year’s work possible.

For more information about the D300 Food Pantry, upcoming events, or ways to get involved, visit d300foodpantry.org.

January 6, 2026
D300 FOOD PANTRY HOSTS FIRST CNOY WALK TO SUPPORT VULNERABLE NEIGHBORS

Carpentersville, IL January 6, 2026 – For the first time, D300 Food Pantry is hosting a Coldest Night of the Year (CNOY) fundraising walk on Saturday, February 28, 2026. This family-friendly winter event invites people across Carpentersville to walk together and raise funds for those experiencing hunger, hurt, and homelessness.

CNOY is a nationwide movement held in more than 300 cities and towns across North America. On one night, tens of thousands of walkers will brave the cold together, raising millions for local charities who provide food, shelter, and support.

The D300 Food Pantry walk begins and ends at Parkview Elementary School. Participants will choose a 2 km or 5 km route, warm up at rest stops with hot drinks, and celebrate at the finish line. Fundraisers who raise $150 (adults) or $75 (youth) will earn the iconic CNOY toque/winter hat.

“We’re excited to launch our very first Coldest Night event,” said Michele Clark, Director of Development. “Every step our walkers take will help D300 Food Pantry support vulnerable neighbors here in Cityville. We can’t wait to see our community come together for this cause – it’s cold out there!”

Registration is open now at www.cnoy.com/carpentersville

Media Contact: Michele Clark, Director of Development

D300 Food Pantry, www.d300foodpantry.org

The Healthy Families Program is designed to ensure that District 300 students, families, and community members have reliable access to nutritious foods essential for long-term health and well-being. With the support of The Seigle Foundation, the D300 Food Pantry will expand its inventory of fresh and healthy options, including eggs, yogurt and cheese.

To celebrate the launch, the Food Pantry hosted a kick-off event yesterday, welcoming members of The Seigle Foundation — Mark and Robin Seigle and Karina Nava — who joined D300 Food Pantry Board President Nikki Kuhlman, Vice President Chuck Bumbales, and Director of Development Michele Clark  alongside additional board members, pantry volunteers and community supporters.

“Because of the support from the Seigle Foundation, we’re able to launch our new Healthy Families Program—a year-long initiative focused on helping low-income families build healthier habits and enjoy a more well-rounded diet.” Kuhlman said. “The funding ensures these healthy essentials will be consistently available in our clients’ homes, helping families prepare nutritious meals and encouraging young people to build healthier eating habits that can last a lifetime.”

The $30,000 grant will immediately support procurement of healthy food items that are historically scarce in food pantry environments, helping the D300 Food Pantry offer a more balanced and consistent variety of options to the thousands of individuals it serves each year.

For more information about the Healthy Families Program or how to support the D300 Food Pantry, please visit d300foodpantry.org or call (847) 783-7030.

Gift ideas below – please no weapons. Gifts must be new and unwrapped.

Gifts for Kids

• Building Sets
• Dolls
• Baby Toys
• Action Figure Sets
• Little People Sets
• Sports Equipment like Basketballs, etc
• Walkie Talkies
• Karaoke Machines
• Drones
• Remote Cars
• Skateboards
• Razor Scooters
• Activity Kits
• Inventory Boxes

We especially need gifts for our teens ages 13 and up:

• Gaming Keyboards
• Gaming Mice
• Bluetooth Headphones
• Bluetooth Earbuds
• Electric Shavers
• Curling Irons
• Straightening Irons
• Blow Dryers
• Gel Nail Kits
• Make-up Kits
• Watches

Infant Stocking Stuffer Ideas (we stuff stocking for our littlest neighbors ages 0 to 24 months, while the rest of our stocking stuffers come from Sandy’s Stockings):

• Baby Lotion
• Baby Wash
• Baby Wipes
• Bubble Bath
• Bath Toys
• Hair Brush/Combs
• Board Books
• Cereal Puffs
• Fruit Pouches
• Sippy Cups
• Eating Utensils
• Teething Toys

​D300 Food Pantry will be hosting a Back-to-School event. At this event our registered families can gather backpacks and school supplies and check out a few more surprises and fun activities. Your donation will help us make sure we can help more than 420 kids have the supplies they need to get their school year off to a great start and fulfill our mission.

How can you help? Please note the deadline to donate is July 23rd.

1. Organize a Drive to Collect Items: are you a business or group that can organize a drive to collect the items on our list? Contact us with questions or to arrange pick up with Nikki Kuhlman.

2. Donate Items as an Individual: start buying items off our Back-to-School Ideas List, and drop them off at the pantry in the red bin any time, or starting July 9th through July 23rd on Tuesdays from 8am to 9:30am or 6pm to 7:30pm and Wednesdays 11am to 1pm.

3. Donate Money: can’t shop but want to help? You can DONATE so that we can purchase some great school supplies.

4. Become an Event Sponsor: are you part of an organization or a company that wants to give back the community? We’re looking for sponsors to help us make the event even better. Contact Stanze Smith for more information and to find out how you can get involved.

5. Shop Our Wish Lists: items are shipped to our Facility Manager’s home:

• Amazon: you can shop our Amazon Wishlist
• Walmart: you can shop our Walmart Wishlist

6. Share with Your Friends: help us get the word out by sharing this page with all your friends.

7. Volunteer: you can email Michele Johnstone to sign up for one or more of the following shifts on August 2nd:
– Setup: 9am to noon
– Event: Noon to 3pm
– Cleanup: 2:30pm to 4pm

BACK-TO-SCHOOL IDEAS LIST:

• Most needed: Lunch Boxes
• Reusable Water Bottles (12, 16 or 18 oz)
• Tissues
• Paper Towel
• Wipes (Clorox/Baby)
• Zip Lock Bags (All Sizes)
• Pens: Black and Blue
• #2 Pencils
• Pink Erasers
• Colored Pencils
• Pencil Sharpeners
• Mechanical Pencils
• Texas Instruments Scientific Calculators (TI 30XIIS)
• College-Ruled Spiral Notebooks
• Thin and Thick Markers
• Glue Sticks
• Post-it Notes (square)
• 1- to 2-inch 3-Ring Binders
• Blunt-Tip Scissors
• Highlighters
• Over-the-Ear Headphones (wired)
• Filler Paper: Wide & College Ruled
• Rulers

$5,000: Pantry Trailblazers – Payment Link

• 1 foursome golf package, including After Party
• 1 foursome golf package at Randall Oaks Golf Club to be used during the 2025 golf season
• Dedicated hole sponsorship, including ability to market at designated hole during outing
• Top billing on signage at the outing as well as recognition of sponsorship prior to golfers being dispersed for shotgun
• Recognition on digital signage at entrance of golf course
• Recognition on GPS screens on each golf cart during event
• Company recognition/website link on D300 Food Pantry website and social media platforms
• Special recognition at After Party including Company Name and QR code on placards placed on each table
• Special Acknowledgement on Annual Giving Letter sent to all Food Pantry donors
• Ability to include company logo items in each golfers “Goody Bag” 

$2,500: Pantry Pacesetters – Payment Link

• 1 foursome golf package, including After Party
• Dedicated hole sponsorship, including ability to market at designated hole during outing
• Prominent recognition on signage at the outing
• Recognition on digital signage at entrance of golf course
• Recognition on GPS screens on each golf cart during event
• Company recognition/website link on D300 Food Pantry website and social media platforms
• Special recognition at After Party including Company Name and QR code on placards placed on each table
• Special Acknowledgement on Annual Giving Letter sent to all Food Pantry donors
• Ability to include company logo items in each golfers “Goody Bag” 

$1,000: Pantry Partners – Payment Link

• Dedicated hole sponsorship, including ability to market at designated hole during outing
• Recognition on signage at the outing
• Recognition on GPS screens on each golf cart during event
• Company recognition/website link on D300 Food Pantry website and social media platforms
• Special recognition at After Party
• Special Acknowledgement on Annual Giving Letter sent to all Food Pantry donors
• Ability to include company logo items in each golfers “Goody Bag”

$500: Beverage Cart Sponsor – not available

• Signage on Beverage Cart
• Ability to include company logo items in each golfers “Goody Bag”

$400: Hole Sponsorship – Payment Link

• Dedicated hole sponsorship, including ability to market on Driving Range, Putting Green or designated hole during outing
• Recognition on GPS screens on each golf cart during event
• Ability to include company logo items in each golfers “Goody Bag”

$150: Hunger Heroes – Payment Link

• Personalized signage placed on a Tee Box during event

To sign up to be a sponsor or to learn more, email KentS@d300foodpantry.org.

We are excited to announce our THIRD ANNUAL “DRIVE TO BEAT HUNGER” GOLF OUTING! June 4th at Randall Oaks Golf course with a shotgun start at 10:30am.

Golfers can sign up NOW! Registration & payment is online here to be a golfer. You’ll get driving range access, 18 holes of golf with a cart, box lunch and after party. Tickets are $125.

If you don’t want to golf, but would like to come to the amazing after party, with cash bar, heavy apps, raffle prizes, 50/50 raffle and more, you can join us for $30. Tickets are available here.

There are multiple sponsorship opportunities available. Learn more here.

The D300 Food Pantry recently held our Second Annual “Drive to Beat Hunger” Golf Outing and it was a HUGE SUCCESS!  A Committee of members from the Pantry Board undertook the enormous task of planning, coordinating, and executing this event for our organization. In total, we had over 80 golfers join us and over 20 sponsors at various levels, raising thousands of dollars to help KEEP THE KIDS FED in School District 300. 

Check out our photo gallery capturing moments from this event, held on Friday, May 17th. The golfers, the After Party guests, and the committee, as well as all our other volunteers, immensely enjoyed the beautiful day! We cannot wait for our THIRD ANNUAL Golf Outing!

A VERY special thank you to the following SPONSORS: 

Pantry Pacesetters ($2,500 sponsors)

• The Lambert Family
• Lamp Construction
• American Community Bank & Trust 

Pantry Partners ($1,000 sponsors)

• Dewberry Architects
• American Commercial Bank & Trust
• The Bumbales Family

​D300 Food Pantry will be hosting a Back-to-School event. At this event our registered families can gather backpacks and school supplies and check out a few more surprises and fun activities. Your donation will help us make sure we can help more than 400 kids have the supplies they need to get their school year off to a great start and fulfill our mission.

How can you help? Please note the deadline to donate is July 22nd.

1. Organize a Drive to Collect Items: are you a business or group that can organize a drive to collect the items on our list? Contact our Pantry Manager with questions or to arrange pick up at jdelp@d300foodpantry.org

2. Donate Items as an Individual: start buying items off our Back-to-School Ideas List, and drop them off at the pantry in the red bin any time, or starting July 9th through July 23rd on Tuesdays from 8am to 9:30am or 6pm to 7:30pm and Wednesdays 11am to 1pm.

3. Donate Money: can’t shop but want to help? You can DONATE so that we can purchase some great school supplies.

4. Shop Our Amazon List: you can shop our Back-to-School Wishlist and items will be shipped to our pantry manager Jenn Delp.

5. Share with Your Friends: help us get the word out by sharing this page with all your friends.

6. Volunteer: you can sign up here on Bloomerang

BACK-TO-SCHOOL IDEAS LIST:

• Most needed: Lunch Boxes
• Most needed: Reusable Water Bottles
• Tissues
• Paper Towel
• Wipes (Clorox/Baby)
• Zip Lock Bags (All Sizes)
• Pens: Black and Blue
• #2 Pencils
• Pink Erasers
• Colored Pencils
• Pencil Sharpeners
• Mechanical Pencils
• Texas Instruments Scientific Calculators (TI 30XIIS)
• College-Ruled Spiral Notebooks
• Thin and Thick Markers
• Glue Sticks
• Post-it Notes (square)
• 2- to 4-inch 3-Ring Binders
• Blunt-Tip Scissors
• Highlighters
• Over-the-Ear Headphones (wired)
• Filler Paper: Wide & College Ruled
• Rulers