The Willow Creek Care Center is committed to fighting poverty and injustice so that lives are transformed and Jesus is known. By sharing the hope and love of Christ while meeting basic needs and offering long-term solutions, your gifts help empower people toward a more stable future while promoting Care Center values

Dignity • Hope • Transformation

There are many ways to support the Care Center. From donating groceries, clothes, or even a car, the Care Center welcomes a variety of goods to help serve our community. Explore the information below to learn more about how you can join us on mission!

How Can I Help Resource the Food Store?

The Care Center offers a full-choice food pantry for fresh produce, bread, canned goods, meat and more free of charge. Our food remains stocked thanks to personal item donations, partnerships and corporate product donors. Below is a list of our greatest needs today:

Toilet Paper
Paper Towels
Foil and Parchment Paper
Diapers (all sizes)
Spices
Body Soap
Shampoo
Cooking supplies
Baby food

While the items above represent our biggest needs that our guests do not normally receive, the following donations are also welcomed and appreciated:

  • Unexpired, individually wrapped, commercially-packaged food
  • Canned items in good condition; with a label, free of dents and rust
  • Peanut butter, jelly, soup, cereal, tuna, rice, pasta, spaghetti sauce, macaroni and cheese, chili, and other non-perishables
  • Items that meet dietary needs, e.g., gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-based, and vegetarian options
Culturally Responsive Foods

Over the past two years, as the Care Center has seen a drastic rise in new guests, many who are refugees or immigrants from Venezuela and Ukraine, we’ve become increasingly aware of the disparity between our food selection and the large number of Hispanic, Latinx and Eastern European guests that we serve. By providing an increased selection of cultural/ethnic foods, we hope to become a beacon for immigrants and refugees by offering a sense of familiarity, comfort, and belonging as they tangibly experience the love of God.

Culturally relevant Hispanic food item donation options include: canned chicken, canned beans and corn, tortillas, rice, and cereal. Our entire refugee community also appreciates fresh fruits and veggies. The best way to equip us to cover these needs are by donating to the Care Center by clicking HERE.

Corporate/Community Partners

We are always looking for vendors and corporate sponsors to partner with us on donating bulk items: ie. frozen meat, pizza and dairy products. If you know of a partner who might be interested in helping, please reach out to our Store Operations & Care Center Pastor, Ron Kessler at ron.kessler@willowcreek.org

Organized Donation Drives

If your company, group, or organization would like to start a donation drive on our behalf, we would be honored! Donation Drives play an important role in supplying our most needed items that are hard to acquire or deplete quickly.  Below is an overview of the process and some basic guidelines:

Steps to organize a Donation Drive:

  1. Please email us first: Please email carecenter@willowcreek.org, subject line, “Donation drive by [your group name].” A staff member will email back with either questions on what you’re looking to donate or provide a list of our most-needed items at that time.
  2. Identify as a volunteer: When running the drive, we want your organization/group front and center! Be clear that this is your effort benefiting Willow Creek Care Center.
  3. One contact: Consider assigning one person that will contact us to schedule the drive and a drop off. We want to build strong relationships and avoid miscommunication.
  4. Drop off: To serve you better, we accept donation drop offs of any size by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, email carecenter@willowcreek.org, subject line “Drive appointment for [your group name].”

Unfortunately, we cannot accept donations of furniture, electronics, or CRT monitors.

How Can I Help Donate to the Clothing Store?

The Care Center Clothing Store graciously accepts new or gently used clothing and shoes for adults and children in any size. Our greatest needs today are in childrens’ clothing as we prepare for Back-to-School:

Boys and Girls Clothing, sizes 6-12 including:
Underwear (must be brand new)
Socks (must be brand new)
Hoodies
Jeans
Short Sleeve Shirts

When donating clothing to the Care Center, please note:

  • Children’s socks, undergarments, pajamas, and swimwear in any size must be brand new
  • Please rubber-band shoes together so pairs do not get separated
  • Donations may be dropped anytime in the outdoor collection bins* located under the Care Center drive-up canopy.

Note:  Receipts are only given for donations received in person by a Care Center representative during our open hours.

*Donations dropped in the bins are not eligible for a receipt.

Steps to organize a Donation Drive:

  1. Please email us first: Please email carecenter@willowcreek.org, subject line, “Donation drive by [your group name].” A staff member will email back with either questions on what you’re looking to donate or provide a list of our most-needed items at that time.
  2. Identify as a volunteer: When running the drive, we want your organization/group front and center! Be clear that this is your effort benefiting Willow Creek Care Center.
  3. One contact: Consider assigning one person that will contact us to schedule the drive and a drop off. We want to build strong relationships and avoid miscommunication.
  4. Drop off: To serve you better, we accept donation drop offs of any size by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, email carecenter@willowcreek.org, subject line “Drive appointment for [your group name].”

Unfortunately, we cannot accept donations of furniture, electronics, or CRT monitors.

How can I donate a vehicle (C.A.R.S. Ministry)?

Did you know that the donation of 1 car has the ability to help a family in need, or fund the repair of  up to 25 guest vehicles through our C.A.R.S. Ministry?  The Care Center accept cars, motorcycles, RVs and boats donated in any condition.

  • Vehicles are picked up free of charge.
  • Qualified vehicles are repaired and cleaned, then given to approved families in need of transportation.
  • Junk and clunkers are sold, with proceeds used toward the repair of other vehicles.
  • To donate your vehicle, fill out the online donation form.

Can I make a non-cash financial gift?

Non-cash gifts are a welcome support to the Care Center.

A tax deduction is provided for the fair market value (FMV) of your securities at the time of gifting without capital gains tax on the difference between your cost and the FMV. Note your gift should be applied to the Care Center. Any questions, please email the contributions team.

To make a gift through a Donor Advised Fund (DAF), ask your DAF representative to send your gift to the Willow Creek Care Center at 67 East Algonquin Road, South Barrington, IL 60010 and include your name and Care Center designation with the gift.

If you are 70 1/2 or older, you can provide a gift to the Care Center through your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) as a Qualified Charitable Deduction (QCD). Your gift will not be taxed when sent to a charity. Contact your financial advisor for assistance in this efficient method of supporting the Care Center.

A gift given in memory or honor of a loved one is a fitting way to acknowledge dedicated volunteerism or passion for the Care Center’s mission in one’s lifetime. To track and report gifts to the family/honoree accurately, forward the auto thank-you message (for online gifts) to onlinecontributions@willowcreek.org with the name of who you are memorializing or honoring. For checks, please include their name in the memo line.

A gift summary is sent to the family/honoree, including a list of contributors and the total amount given. Families or honoree, please email the main contact’s name and address to receive the gift summary to onlinecontributions@willowcreek.org.

Gifts of life insurance, retirement assets, bequests, and through a charitable gift fund. Details can be obtained when you contact the Willow Creek Accounts Receivable Department or call (224) 512-6636.

How can I invest in the Willow Creek Care Center Mission?

Give a one time or recurring gift on our secure giving link. Our safe and secure online giving platform allows for a specific dollar amount to be deducted automatically from a checking/savings account or debit/credit card. Setting up a recurring gift is a most efficient way to provide ongoing support to the valuable programs at the Care Center.

If you prefer, mail your gift to the Willow Creek Care Center at 67 East Algonquin Road, South Barrington, IL 60010. Include your name and address on the check or envelope so that your gift will be credited for tax purposes. Designate Willow Creek Care Center in the memo on your check.

All gifts to the Willow Creek Care Center directly offset program expenses that serve more than 10,000 families each year. Click here (coming soon) to see how gifts meet immediate needs for our families.

About The Care Center Advisory Council

Advisory Council
Left to right: Rohit Paul, Joe Canady, Kyle Healy, Bretta Warren Kim, Jim Pluymert, Oliver Kim, Katalin Pluymert, Bryan Kidd, Stacey Kidd, Colleen Zambole, Bonnie Malcolm Chrisman.

In June 2021, the Willow Creek Care Center celebrated eight years of ministry at the South Barrington location. Following a robust funding effort in 2010-2012, the Care Center was built and a dream realized that would bring hope and value to tens of thousands of neighbors entering its doors every year.

Since that time, Care Center operations have been supported through a percentage of tithes and offerings from the South Barrington location of Willow Creek Community Church. In addition, the Care Center has benefitted from the gracious generosity of the congregation, as well as local and regional partners.

During a challenging multi-year season including the Covid-19 pandemic, though the relative and actual amount of the church’s provision to the Care Center and other Willow Creek church ministries understandably and necessarily decreased, financial engagement for the Center reached an unprecedented level in 2020.

To better understand and nurture philanthropic interests in the Care Center, the Care Center Advisory Council convened in 2021. The CCAC is led by Bonnie Malcolm Chrisman, an experienced facilitator of giving relationships and generosity programming. Benefits of launching a generosity program include offsetting the Center’s annual operational expenses, preventing the use of savings/emergency funds for operational use, and creating a pathway for program improvements or expansions as indicated by the needs of our Neighbors. Another pivotal goal is the practical and spiritual care and growth of program participants. The Care Center Advisory Council will provide ongoing wisdom as the new generosity program expands in the coming years.

The Care Center was birthed from the heart of and is an integral part of the mission and values of Willow Creek Community Church. Together, this unwavering commitment to Love God, Love People and Change the World will continue to shape hearts and minds and restore broken lives with dignity and hope for generations to come.

As the Care Center generosity program launches, it is important to note that all gifts, no matter the amount, are received with gratitude and are applied to the Center’s mission. For information about the Willow Creek Care Center Advisory Council and ways to engage, contact Bonnie Malcolm Chrisman at bchrisman@willowcreek.org or 224.512.1183.

Thank you for walking with us on this Kingdom road!


Every gift is highly valued and Appreciated

On behalf of every Care Center guest whose life is made brighter because of your investment, thank you. You are blessing many lives with dignity, hope and transformation.

For questions about giving in support of the Care Center, contact us at carecenter@willowcreek.org

Per IRS regulations, gifts made to the Care Center must be received or postmarked by December 31 in order to receive donation credit for tax purposes in that year.