Hinsdale Community Service was created in 1938 toward the end of the Great Depression to provide assistance to those in need following the prolonged economic collapse.

According to the organization’s Web site some “Hinsdale neighbors were unable to afford necessities such as food, rent and ice deliveries.”

More than 70 years later the nonprofit organization finds itself just as relevant in providing assistance, offering a wide variety of resources to residents whose need for services continues to grow.

“Unfortunately the demand for services is still here, and there are more people in need than funding available to support them,” said Susan Fritz, executive director of the organization. “People are struggling to put gas in their tanks and get to work.”

In addition to providing two food pantries, emergency rental assistance, senior services and case management for people trying to establish self-sufficiency, the organization recently kicked off a new program called Enhancing Lives in Transition through Education Strategically.

Recently 50 families were chosen to take part in the ELITES program, which will provide extensive case management of up to three years in helping remove barriers standing in the way of self-sufficiency.

“These barriers can include income and employment, education, child care and more,” said Sherri Crowder, ELITES director.

Beginning next week, ELITES clients will undergo an assessment of “needs and barriers,” Crowder said, and then case workers and clients will develop personalized action plans for each case.

“Every three months we will do an overview to see if the clients are meeting their goals,” she said.
Crowder said she expects the program to triple within the next two or three years citing “the demand is there.”

Fritz, who was hired in the last year after spending nine years at the Naperville United Way, said ELITES is designed to wean “motivated people off the system.”

“It’s a two-way street. We aren’t giving anything away, those who participate will work hard to achieve their goals,” she said.

Three case workers will handle ELITES clients, including Jaime Castaneda, emergency services coordinator for HCS.

“I will be handling 16 Hispanic clients,” she said.

Castaneda said he is excited to add ELITES case management to his regular slate of tasks, which includes managing the two food pantries provided by HCS. He coordinates about 50 volunteers, orders food for both food pantries and oversees distribution.

The organization’s Westmont-based Food Pantry supplies food staples to about 3,000 clients annually who apply for assistance.

The Healthy Options Food Pantry is the organization’s answer to the call for special dietary needs of its clients.

“The Healthy Options Food Pantry provides items such as organic foods, gluten free products, fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, fish and other healthy options,” Castaneda said.

When the Healthy Options Food Pantry began last year it served about 180 families a month. Today the demand has grown to more than 400 a month.

Healthy Options is supported through donations — the Food Pantry in Westmont is supported through both donations and purchases made from the Northern Illinois Food Bank — from local grocers, farmers and food drives.

Those utilizing the Westmont-based Food Pantry must be clients of HCS; those wishing to tap into the Healthy Options Food Pantry can be clients or those with documented special dietary needs, Castaneda said.

The organization is funded through donations — both financial and products — and works on a $650,000 budget annually.

“We have had great support from our community in the past,” Fritz said. “We stretch our $650,000 as much as possible.

Fritz said the Village of Hinsdale has been a great supporter as well.

“They allow us to use the second floor of Memorial Hall without paying rent. That allows us to put our resources where they are most needed, and we thank them for that,” Fritz said.