When Mike Sigwalt took over as director of the Geneseo-Atkinson Food Pantry four years ago, he made some changes. His idea of feeding the community included a holistic approach to the mission and he was determined to put that philosophy into practice.
At the time he joined, guests were still ordering their food online and volunteers were still filling boxes for pickup. But the new director noticed that the same can of lima beans that went into the boxes was being cycled through the donation box over and over again. Determined to do better, he changed the pantry into a client-choice operation.
“There is dignity in 100 percent choice,” he said.
Sigwalt also wanted to grant clients more access to the pantry, so he extended the hours, opening the pantry for four days a week.
Clients can come in once a month for food whenever the pantry is open and shop, he said.
The client choice policy and hours aren’t the only changes Sigwalt made to the pantry. He also opened up the pantry to all ZIP codes. As a food pantry right off the interstate, Sigwalt said they often provide food to transients moving through the area or stranded motorists.
“At first they only served Geneseo and Atkinson. I didn’t like that, so I got the board to open the pantry to all zipcodes,” he said. “Hunger doesn’t recognize boundaries, why should we?”
Sigwalt also said that only including Geneseo and Atkinson left many families to fend for themselves.
“How do you turn away a family that has children? The open-door policy ensures that families living just outside the Geneseo-Atkinson area aren’t missed,” he said.
Sigwalt also saw pantries disconnected and acting in isolation of one another. He suggested a coalition and now more than 50 food pantries in nine countries from Rock Island to LaSalle work together to “knock down the barrier that kept them operating in isolation,” said Sigwalt.
Sigwalt’s holistic approach extends beyond the food pantry into other services offered inside the sprawling building once the site of a gas station.
Just off the main entrance of the building is a spacious shopping area with aisles set up just like a grocery store. People sign in, grab a cart and shop.
“We are an unusual set up,” he said. “A number of food pantries are in church basements.”
Each family is allowed to shop for so many items based on their family size.
A family of one can pick 20 items of their choice; a family of two gets to choose 25 items and it goes up from there. If one family wants 20 boxes of cereal, they can have them, he said.
This time of year, there’s a Thanksgiving section. Clients can choose eight food items such as cranberries, fried onions, soup, green beans and other traditional Thanksgiving fare.
“The Christmas section will look pretty much the same,” he said.
The aisles are laid out much like the average grocery store with a cooler that holds meats like pork, chicken, hot dogs and brats. There is also a baking section, a Mexican section, and sections for cereal, spices, condiments, peanut butter, jelly and baby items that are free to those who need them.
A health and beauty section offers soaps, shampoos, toothpaste and other toiletries.
Next to the food pantry room is a clothing room where people can shop for free items like used clothing, shoes, jewelry, purses, toys, baby and kids’ clothes and small household items.
Many Kewanee families who visit the pantry often use the clothing room, he said.
Down a hallway is a conference room where the board meets, restrooms and a meeting room, called the Matthew 25 room. On the wall of the meeting room is inscribed with the verse Matthew 25:40 that reads “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did to me.” The message sums up the pantry mission in the room used for both classes and meetings.
Very soon, the Matthew 25 room will transform into a Christmas Shop where clients will be able to shop for free Christmas presents and toys. The room is made possible through the generosity of local toy and gift drives, said Sigwalt.
As if that wasn’t enough, a blood pressure station or Heart Hub, installed by the American Heart Association, stands in the reception area. A dietician from the hospital comes frequently to show people how to prepare nutritious recipes. And a foot clinic is offered twice a month and is open to the public. For pantry clients, there is no charge.
The verse from the book of Matthew provides the pantry with the pillars of projects they want to include, said Sigwalt.
“It’s not earthshattering. There’s a stigma in coming to a food pantry,” said Sigwalt. “So what can we do to alleviate that stigma?”
Sigwalt finds dignity in choice and said while a doctor can treat medical conditions, there’s much to be said about alleviating stress.
The atmosphere at the pantry is designed to be stress-free.
“Guests can come to the pantry and not just get one part treated but many parts treated,”he said.
With the future of SNAP in question and food prices on the rise, so is food insecurity, making his task of feeding the hungry more difficult. The number of clients visiting the pantry has risen significantly in the last few months, just as it has in other communities. And more Kewanee families are making the trip to Geneseo for food assistance.
“The support of Kewanee citizens has grown over the past year,” he said, reaching 150 Kewanee families for October. “I’m sure this is the result of the government shutdown, SNAP benefit suspensions and the increased cost of food in our stores.”
From September 2025 to October 2025, there was a 48.5% jump in the number of Kewanee families served. First-time Kewanee visitors to the Geneseo pantry averaged about 13 new families per month.
“In October 2025, we had 68 first-time visitors from Kewanee visiting us. That’s an amazing jump,” he said.
SNAP benefits have been restored for now, but Sigwalt still sees food insecurity as a future issue. And in 2026, the One Big, Beautiful Bill Act is expected to reduce both SNAP benefits and the number of people who qualify for the federal program. But Sigwalt is determined to face the challenges head on.
“I can cry in my own milk or turn back and drive harder, he said.
His attitude is to keep his nose to the grindstone and get people fed.
“If the federal government decides to help, great. If not, we’ll just work harder.
And Sigwalt said the Geneseo-Atkinson Food Pantry is always appreciative of the community’s help. His own community, he said, has been generous.
Ways to assist the food pantry include monetary and food donations. Food donations can be dropped off at 620 W. Main St. in Geneseo. Monetary donations can be sent to:
Geneseo-Atkinson Food Pantry
PO Box 324
Geneseo, IL 61254
You can also visit their website at here and click on the “Donate” menu item at the top of the screen.
