Greater Chicago Food Depository

We're so happy to learn that GROW GREATER ENGLEWOOD has been awarded a City of Chicago grant to support the development of the Ujima Hive project, a Resiliency Hub serving the Englewood community on the South Side of Chicago. Ujima Hive supports community gardens, public spaces, a state-of-the-art emergency preparedness center, a robust food pantry and a nutrition dense meals program, while providing an incubator space that bolsters local and Black-owned businesses. This vibrant model for entrepreneurial opportunity is crucial to addressing the underlying causes of hunger in our community. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/giWZRwXb

We are anticipating significant federal-level threats to our nutrition safety net, including vital programs like SNAP, WIC and school meals. On Monday, the Greater Chicago Food Depository hosted an online event to talk about how federal, state and local policies impact food insecurity and how we can work together to ensure that every neighbor has the food they need to thrive. Watch now to learn more about how you can become an advocate to end hunger: https://lnkd.in/gqrY5pmY

Few places in Chicago bring fans of both the Cubs and White Sox baseball teams under one roof for a shared mission. This MLK Day of Service, the Food Depository was honored to be that place. In the morning, nearly 150 youth from the Cubs Charities Nike RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) program gathered to pack pasta and apples into family-size packages. Volunteers from the Chicago White Sox ACE (Amateur City Elite) program, the Mayor’s Youth Commission, the Obama Foundation and ComEd continued the work during the afternoon session. “It means a lot being here on a day known for non-violence and giving back,” said Dan Tucker of The White Sox ACE, a program working to increase participation in baseball among Black youth while mentoring and preparing the participants for a successful future both on and off the field. “It’s great to be here hanging with the team and doing something for the community. On MLK Day, this is something special,” said Ellis Alexander, 17, a catcher with the Cubs Charities’ Nike RBI civic engagement program who is proudly carrying on the tradition of his grandfather, who played in the Negro Leagues. The following day, we began distributing the food they packed to our network of more than 800 food pantries, soup kitchens and other programs across Chicago and Cook County to help neighbors experiencing food insecurity. We are thankful for our volunteers and their work to help us #EndHungerNow. If you or your organization would like to attend a repack session, visit https://lnkd.in/gTZGvr2.

Thanks to Dion Dawson of Dion's Chicago Dream for highlighting this important issue and solutions in front of us. Food is Medicine and every person deserves the food they need to be healthy and thrive. Read now: https://lnkd.in/dSY4Nr6F

Today, we honor Dr. King and celebrate his legacy of service and advocacy. As he once said, “Everybody can be great... because anybody can serve.” We are deeply grateful to our partners and volunteers for their dedication to service. Their efforts allow us to provide food to neighbors in need and address the root causes of hunger. Together, we are greater.

For more than 30 years, New Hope Bible Church has offered a soup kitchen to their Hermosa neighbors, using their own resources until they partnered with the Greater Chicago Food Depository in 2012. As the need for food assistance grew in the community, they launched a food pantry to operate alongside the soup kitchen. In a neighborhood where nearly 37% of residents currently live below the 200% federal poverty level (a common measure of need), the food pantry offers much needed relief. Neighbors no longer have to choose between paying their bills or putting food on the table. The pantry also operates like a supermarket, offering a dignified pantry experience where neighbors can use shopping carts and browse aisles of food. To read more about New Life Bible Church and its food pantry, visit https://bit.ly/40kRLTn.

We are expecting significant federal-level threats on our nutrition safety net programs like SNAP, WIC and school meals in the years ahead. It is more important now than ever before that we collectively defend and strengthen these lifeline programs, while also advancing impactful policies in Illinois to ensure every neighbor has the food they need to thrive. On January 27 from 12 - 1 p.m., we are hosting a Zoom event about how federal and state policies impact food insecurity and what we can do to help our neighbors in 2025. Join to learn how you can become an advocate to end hunger! Register now: https://bit.ly/4ajcpaZ

Food insecurity among college students is a national issue. A study from the Department of Education reported that 23% of undergraduates and 12% of graduate students in the U.S. experience food insecurity, affecting more than 4 million students. In addition, Dr. Allison Rose, dean of student services at Kennedy-King College, notes that undergraduate students in Chicago experience food insecurity at double the rate of all U.S. households. To address this need, the Food Depository partners with colleges across Chicago and Cook County to offer campus pantries. These pantries provide students with a variety of fresh produce, dairy items, protein and frozen foods. To learn more about our campus pantry program, visit https://bit.ly/4fQTTI6. #EndHungerNow

"No amount of medicine is going to help a senior who can only afford meals loaded with sodium, sugar and saturated fats. They need access to healthy, balanced meals to keep chronic health conditions under control." -John Jay Shannon, MD, our Board chairman During Dr. Shannon's time as a physician, he has seen firsthand the effects of food insecurity on patient's health. In particular, many older adults are navigating chronic health conditions that require a nutritionally adequate diet. This can be hard to access or maintain when on a limited or fixed income. To close that gap, the Food Depository now delivers ready-to-eat meals to neighbors that are comprised of lean proteins, whole grains and vegetables. These deliveries are made in addition to distributing millions of pounds of groceries a year at no cost to partner food pantries across Chicago and Cook County. Read more: https://bit.ly/423KsSv #EndHungerNow

Happy holidays! We're especially grateful to our partners who helped us distribute over 2.6 million pounds of hams, turkeys, whole chickens and other holiday food items for our neighbors. This provides approximately 160,000 households in Chicago and Cook County with a holiday meal this season! On behalf of the Food Depository, we hope your holidays are filled with love, laughter and endless joy!