Northern Illinois Food Bank shows off its plans for turning a former Rockford Kmart into its future home

By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The future home of Northern Illinois Food Bank, for now, is a vast vacant space that was once home to Kmart on Sandy Hollow Road.

But in the next four months, the nonprofit plans to revamp the 30,000-square-foot space at 1397 Sandy Hollow Road with an enhanced grocery shopping experience for residents facing food insecurity. There will also be new offices, meeting rooms, food storage, warehouse space, dock access and space for wrap-around services from other support agencies in the community.

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The nonprofit showed off the space on Tuesday while providing an update on its efforts to raise $600,000 to pay for the renovations and moving costs.

The nonprofit so far has raised about a third of its goal thanks to a matching gift from Theresa and Jerry Hinck and contributions from UW Health, Barbara Bullock and Christopher Bullock. The Kjellstrom Family Foundation has also contributed, and a grant from US Foods will help fund the temperature controlled lockers for grocery pickup.

Julie Yurko, president and CEO of Northern Illinois Food Bank, said the nonprofit’s commitment to the expansion is firm even if it falls short of its fundraising goal. If that happens, it may have to tap emergency reserves until the rest of the funds can be raised.

“I’m optimistic: I’m betting we don’t have to,” Yurko said. “This has been a really wonderful community to us, and we believe that when folks hear about this and they choose to get involved, really great things happen and I think we’ll raise all the funds.”

On Tuesday, state Sen. Steve Stadelman announced support for the project through the Rebuild Illinois capital plan. He said $50,000 was secured, bringing the total fundraising to $250,000 so far.

“A strong food bank shows that the community cares about its residents, especially those who are most vulnerable,” Stadelman said. “It’s incredibly important to provide something as basic as food to residents who are unable to feed themselves or their families and to help them when they’re trying to get through times of struggle.”

Northern Illinois Food Bank will relocate from 765 Research Parkway when its lease expires at the end of the year.

The food bank has operated from its Northwest Center on Research Parkway since 2015, but Yurko said increasing need has led it to outgrow the space. In the former Kmart site, which will be called Northern Illinois Food Bank Neighborhood Market, the nonprofit has 11,000 additional square feet and much larger space for parking. It also has greater visibility along Sandy Hollow Road near the U.S. 20 bypass.

The move into a larger space comes as the need for meals has increased 64% over the past five years.

The food bank’s meal distribution has increased from 5.3 million in fiscal year 2019 to 8.7 million in fiscal 2024, which ended June 30.

About one out of seven residents in Winnebago County face food insecurity, and 41% of households in the county fall below the threshold to cover basic living expenses such as food, housing, transportation, health care and child care, according to the ALICE Report.

The Winnebago Community Market, a 4,000-square-foot pantry inside the current center, has served roughly 1,700 families per week since opening in 2018.

Northern Illinois Food Bank marks the first tenant inside the former Kmart since it closed in April 2018, with the exception of its use as a mass vaccination site in 2021.

The property was once planned as a future Walmart before the company withdrew and sold for $850,000 to First Midwest Group, in February 2020, according to a deed with the Winnebago County Recorder’s Office. First Midwest Group made several improvements to the property, including repairs to the roof, to prepare the site for new uses.

At the corner lot in front of the property, a QuikTrip truck stop and convenience store is under construction.

How to help

To contribute to the Northern Illinois Food Bank’s relocation efforts, go HERE to make a donation.

This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas