Five Naperville nonprofits that provide mental health counseling, food assistance, youth housing, and senior care will share in the DuPage Foundation's largest-ever spring grant cycle, a $1,335,160 investment across 71 organizations in the health and human services sector.
The local recipients are 360 Youth Services, Grow Wellness Foundation, Loaves and Fishes Community Services, Riverwalk Adult Day Services, and SamaraCare. Individual grant amounts for each organization have not been disclosed. The foundation published the awards in a June 18 press release.
Barb Szczepaniak, the foundation's vice president for programs, said in the announcement that the spring cycle funded 80% of applicants, a 40% increase from what was awarded in spring 2025. Donor advisors and funding partners contributed $820,000 of the total.
"Thanks to the generosity of our donor advisors and funding partners, we were able to make this our largest Community Impact grant cycle ever," said Betsy Goltermann, a foundation trustee and grant committee chair.
The five Naperville grantees serve residents across a wide spectrum of need. Loaves and Fishes, which describes itself as the largest food pantry in Illinois, distributes groceries to about 10,000 people each week from its Naperville Grocery Market and Aurora hub. CEO Mike Havala's organization launched a $15 million capital campaign in April to expand capacity as food insecurity in DuPage and surrounding counties has risen more than 50% since 2019.
Riverwalk Adult Day Services, led by Executive Director Jennifer Brasfield, operates out of the Alfred Rubin Riverwalk Community Center on West Jackson Avenue in downtown Naperville. Founded in 1983, it has logged more than 730,000 hours of service since its founding for seniors and adults who cannot be home alone.
SamaraCare, which offers sliding-scale counseling and psychiatric services at 1819 Bay Scott Circle, consolidated its Lisle office into its Naperville and Wheaton locations as of June 15. Grow Wellness Foundation, established in 2022 at 200 E. 5th Ave., provides subsidized therapy for underserved populations starting at age 3. And 360 Youth Services, operating for more than 50 years from Bond Street, runs an emergency youth shelter and rehousing programs for young people ages 10 to 25.
Recipients gathered for a celebration with foundation staff, donors, and volunteers on Thursday, June 11. Two newer DuPage nonprofits, Empower Futurewave Foundation and Evergreen Shared Housing, each received $5,000 in seed funding.
Looking Ahead
Friday, September 4 — Deadline for the DuPage Foundation's Fall Community Impact grant cycle. The fall round focuses on youth education, workforce development, environmental concerns, and animal welfare. Applications at dupagefoundation.org.
