who we are
Hands of Hope of Illinois is a food network and ministry striving to assist in God's business of caring for his children. Our main objective is to share the gospel through the giving of food. In church and places of worship you can read and learn the Gospel. At Hands of Hope of Illinois we live and experience the Gospel every day. Through networking with local business and other food ministries we are able to provide food, clothing, household goods, medical supplies and sometimes building materials to those in need.
Our story: hands of hope
How it All Started
In 1999 God put upon the heart of Woodie Stiltner, Jr. the vision of using his trucking company to help those in need. In the years since he has been joined by various others to accomplish this vision.
Our origins date back to the first food drive, out of the back of a truck during the Christmas holiday of 1999. With food donations from KeHE Foods and time from volunteers we were able to reach out and make a difference by distributing food to the hungry.
Where God has Brought Us
Today we assemble everything in our warehouse in Joliet, Illinois and are now distributing on average over 90,000 lbs. of food per week. Organizations and ministries have different needs and we accommodate these to the best of our abilities. Hands of Hope of Illinois recognizes that not all needs are physical and that spiritual help can be of equal importance. We are blessed to be able to share God's words at many of the recipients' facilities and churches. A prison ministry at Stateville Prison is a byproduct of this blessing.
Our Influence
While we do provide goods to our missions out of the country, 90% of our products are distributed here in the U.S. We recognize that in many instances we have hungry Americans that either do not qualify or are overlooked by government entities and larger food ministries.
Your Part in Our Story
Although we are a Christian Ministry and most of our recipients are "faith" based organizations we do not discriminate against any group or individual in need. If you are hungry we will feed you.
Ways you can be a part of our story:
- Volunteer in any one of our Hope Center locations
- Register your church/organization to participate in our free food giveaway every 1st and 3rd Friday of the month
- Become a member as an individual or with your church for a low annual fee
- Join us along this journey through prayer!