LAKEVIEW — A bright, colorful new home for Lakeview Pantry opened its doors to the hungry on Monday.

The food pantry’s new location, 3945 N. Sheridan Road, has been under construction since August. Formerly The Houndry, the two-story building below the Sheridan “L” station is twice as large as the pantry’s previous home at 3831 N. Broadway.

“This building has really been built by the community for the community,” said executive director Kellie O’Connell.

The pantry has raised all but the final $400,000 of the $3.5 million campaign to fully renovate the building. The pantry also got a leg up with donated skylights from Wasco Skylights, while the HON showroom in Merchandise Mart sold its showroom furniture to the pantry for 10 percent of the cost.

RELATED: Lakeview Pantry Breaks Ground On First Permanent Home After 45 Years

The pantry had major help from IFF, a real estate consultant for nonprofits in the Midwest. IFF, formerly known as the Illinois Facilities Fund, finances construction loans and helps manage construction projects.

“Everyone has rallied behind the pantry to allow us to buy our first home here,” O’Connell said. “The support they’ve given us all along has been remarkable.”

While the pantry itself has expanded and added more space for food storage, a huge draw for the new building is the ability to house all the staff offices on the second floor. Previously, workers were split up into several rented offices around Lakeview. Read More Here