NOURISHING THE FUTURE - Greater Chicago Food Depository

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PARTNERS STEP UP TO FEED KIDS DURING REMOTE LEARNING P. 4–5

FOOD DEPOSITORY EXPANDS MEAL PREP P. 3

5 WAYS TO GIVE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON P. 7

NOURISHING THE FUTURE(Photo by Mateo Zapata for the Food Depository)

2 I Food for Thought

Kate MaehrExecutive Director and CEO

PERSPECTIVECalendar of Events

NOVEMBER 1 – DECEMBER 31

Whole Foods One Dime at a Time Customers who use reusable grocery bags from home will receive a 10-cent per bag refund they can donate to the Food Depository. Visit chicagosfoodbank.org/events for a list of participating Whole Foods.

Guinness Gives Back With every sale of the local “Guinness Gives Back” eight-pack, Guinness will donate $1 (up to $100,000) to the Food Depository. Guinness will also donate an additional $1 for social media support. Use “I’m proud to support @FoodDepository and @GuinnessUS this holiday season. #GuinnessGivesBackCHI on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter.

Target Circle For every purchase that Target Circle shoppers make, they’ll earn votes to help direct Target’s giving. At the register, Cook County shoppers can vote for Target to make a donation to the Food Depository.

Papa John’s fundraiser Chicagoland area Papa John’s locations will offer customers the opportunity to purchase food at 20% off and 10% of the customer's total order is set aside as a donation to the Food Depository. Using the promo code CHIFOOD, customers can unlock the 20% discount and activate the 10% donation.

NOVEMBER

Grand Giving at Mariano's Nov. 1–30 In partnership with former MLB All-Star and Chicago native Curtis Granderson, all local Mariano’s stores will be encouraging shoppers to donate $1, $5 or $10 when they check out.

Thanksgiving holiday Nov. 26–27 Food Depository closed

DECEMBER / JANUARY Christmas Holiday Dec. 24–26 Food Depository closed

New Year's Holiday Dec. 31–Jan. 2 Food Depository closed

As we approach the holiday season – and the end of a particularly volatile year — I feel immense gratitude to be part of this Greater Chicago community.

There’s just something special about Chicago and the communities of suburban Cook County. We come together to weather crises, like a global pandemic. We learn from shared experiences, like the racial justice reckoning that’s unfolded this year. And we lift each other up.

Just like you have done for our neighbors facing hunger.

Whether you’re a donor, a volunteer or a partner in our network, thank you for your unwavering support in this ongoing crisis. Because of you, we’ve been able to serve a growing number of families who are facing hunger for the first time.

Collectively, we’ve felt the pain and loss of these months, particularly in Black and Latino communities that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic and decades of racial inequity. But we haven’t stopped our mission of ending hunger.

Instead, we’ve escalated our response to meet the growing need.

We’ve expanded food access through new partnerships in the Black and Latino communities that have been hit the hardest by the combination of COVID-19 and food insecurity. We’ve invested in our network of partners, including more than $2.3 million in emergency grants. We’ve adapted our job training program to continue connecting people to jobs.

And despite the tumultuous landscape, we’re scaling up our capabilities to prepare meals for older adults and people with disabilities.

This is all made possible by the underlying compassion and humanity of people like you. Since the pandemic struck this spring, volunteers have continued to show up to pack boxes of food for their neighbors. Our food pantry partners, heroes in normal times, have done extraordinary work to continue feeding people in need. Donors helped us keep pace with dramatically increasing expenses.

None of this is for the faint of heart. But it’s necessary work as members of our community.

This holiday season, I find my inspiration and my gratitude in you. As a society, may we build a larger table for all to gather around, as one family, with plenty of food for everyone. May we nourish our own collective future and hope for brighter days ahead.

Greater Chicago Food Depository I 3

During the coronavirus pandemic, the Food Depository has worked to nimbly adapt and adjust plans to the changing reality of our world.

We’ve worked hard to find the opportunities within the challenges.

In practical terms, that means that some plans have been accelerated while others have been put on hold. Currently, the Food Depository is in the process of scaling up its prepared meal production in the kitchen of our facility on the Southwest Side. This prepared meal pilot program will help meet a rising need during the ongoing pandemic.

We’re in the process of building up to the production of 4,700 meals a day, which will be distributed to select partners in high priority communities. We also plan to build an inventory of more than 50,000 frozen meals,

bracing for the possibility of another surge in demand.

“The world is changing, so we must change with it,” said Jill Rahman, the Food Depository’s chief operating officer. “Building our capacity for prepared meals will help us to serve our most vulnerable neighbors in a time of crisis.”

The pilot program will also better prepare the Food Depository for eventually opening the planned meal preparation kitchen across the street from our existing facility. Initial plans to break ground on that project this summer were halted when the pandemic required a shift in focus with our emergency response.

If anything, though, the pandemic has underscored the need for more prepared meals for older adults and people with disabilities, delivered either to their home or for congregate settings.

We remain committed to the vision of building a new meal production facility that will allow us to better meet that need. Thank you to all the donors who are supporting this vision.

Please stay tuned for more details to come in the months ahead.

In the meanwhile, we’re learning and growing right where we are. The pilot program allows us to test production methods and meal types, all while gathering feedback in real time from respected partners. The meals will also help us to expand food access in low-income communities of color.

None of this work would be possible without supporters and partners like you. Thanks for walking with us in this journey.

AMID GROWING NEED, FOOD DEPOSITORY RAMPS UP PREPARED MEALSProduction assistant Belinda Longmire seals prepared meals, which will be sent to partners serving older adults and people with disabilities.

Production assistant Janeya Rivers works in the Food Depository kitchen preparing pre-packaged meals

“The world is changing, so we must change with it.” —Jill Rahman


YOUTH PROGRAMS PROVIDE REFUGE IN CRISIS

A student eats lunch in between online school at the Barreto Union League Boys and Girls Club (all photos by Mateo Zapata for the Food Depository).

their online coursework. The Barreto Club in Humboldt Park has become one of those remote learning hubs, offering makeshift classrooms to 90 students ranging from first grade to high school seniors.

In addition to a safe, socially distanced space, these students also receive nutritious meals throughout the day to nourish their bodies and minds.

“To be able to provide these meals and be able to feed the community, it means the world to me,” said Jeremy Murphy, director of club services at the Barreto Club.

In partnership with the Food Depository, which coordinates with a student meal vendor, 22 community youth organizations like the Barreto Club have adjusted their services to

also offer students meals throughout the school day. Through the end of October, more than 38,000 meals had already been served across these sites.

Murphy estimated that about 80% of families they serve struggle with consistently putting enough food on the table. Pre-COVID, he knew those kids would get at least two full meals a day — one at school and one at the club in the evening.

Now that Barreto staff host the kids during the school day as well, they are also providing breakfasts, lunches and snacks.

Fourteen-year-old Jacob Bowers, who has been coming to the club since he was six, has been there virtually attending his first year of high school and has been receiving the meals.

“I know personally when you eat your three meals throughout the day, it helps you work better, move better, operate better,” Bowers said. “Keeps you more awake and focused.”

As someone who grew up going to the Barreto Club himself, Murphy knows firsthand how the space can act as a

Jeremy Murphy, the Barreto Club’s director of club services.

"When you eat your three meals throughout the day, it helps you work better, move better, operate better." —Jacob Bowers

At the Union League Barreto Boys and Girls Club, children have their temperature checked upon arrival. Desks are stationed six feet apart. Tape on the floors reminds kids to stay in their personal space.

Such is life during the pandemic for the longtime haven for kids on Chicago’s West Side, which has become a sort of school away from school.

With the COVID-19 pandemic closing schools across the city, children with parents still working outside of the home needed somewhere to complete


Community organizations like the Barreto Club (pictured here) offer students a space to complete their e-learning while their parents work outside the home.

A student eats lunch in between online school at the Barreto Union League Boys and Girls Club (all photos by Mateo Zapata for the Food Depository).

safe haven for kids like Bowers, both physically and emotionally. And in tough times like these, it is needed more than ever.

“We are literally stepping into the gap, fighting the good fight,” he said.

“We are definitely providing a service of not only education but providing the service of hope. Survival. It means so much.”

'STEPPING INTO THE GAP'

Several miles south in the Woodlawn neighborhood, third grader Gabriella Jeffries, 8, does her e-learning at the South Side YMCA, another Food Depository partner. Her favorite lunch offering was the one she received on a recent October afternoon: Cheese and crackers, green apples, tomatoes, and a carton of milk.

Jacob Bowers at the Barreto Union League Boys and Girls Club.

The South Side YMCA in Woodlawn provides breakfast, lunch and snack to 20 kids in its remote learning support program.

A student at the South Side YMCA takes a break from e-learning to eat lunch provided in partnership with the Food Depository.

Eating a good lunch helps her concentrate during the day, she said, “because when I’m in school my belly’s full, so I don’t have to get up and get something else to eat.”

Nowadays, the South Side YMCA is hosting 20 students, ages 5–12, during school hours. The breakfasts, lunches and snacks not only help students’ focus, but also behavior, according to youth director Kim Polk.

Nearly half of the families enrolled in the school-day program are newcomers to the YMCA, she said. They need the service because of the parents’ work schedules.

“We hear from the parents that they’re grateful,” she said. “It’s good on our end, too, to still be able to work and be able to provide services. It’s like a routine.”

Gabriella Jeffries


Food Depository before logging in for another day of eighth grade, which is now online due to COVID-19.

Since earning the title, Cwiakala and her family have become supporters of the Food Depository and its mission. With the pandemic leaving more families across the city facing hunger, they have recently found new ways to get involved, including Beni hosting a virtual cooking event for our supporters.

“Now, it’s way harder for people to have access to food if they don’t

have a lot,” she said. “People are emotionally and mentally out of place because it’s very hard being stuck inside and quarantined. For people to get fresh, healthy food, now more than ever, is very important."

Helping feed people in need is something that has long been on Cwiakala’s mind. Back when she was on the show, she told the Chicago Tribune that if she were to win the $100,000 prize, she wanted to donate part of it to help feed kids. That passion, she said, is rooted in her parents instilling an interest in healthy food in her and her younger brother from a young age.

“In our family, healthy eating is a big part of our life,” she explained.

“To give other people that opportunity is important to us.”

Over the last few years, the Cwiakala family has given back to the Food Depository and participated in volunteer repack sessions. Beni also recalled how she and her friend would host lemonade stands and donate the proceeds to the Food Depository.

Once the pandemic hit, they volunteered at their local food pantry in Pilsen and were determined to get even more involved.

For kids who are looking for ways to get involved, Cwiakala’s best advice is to start small: Look for ways to help people in your own neighborhood and then expand your reach.

Helping others, she said, is something that gives her a feeling of joy.

“It makes me feel happy because I’m helping other people,” said Cwiakala.

“They are receiving food and they are not going to go hungry. It’s very important to me, and it makes me feel very good.”Beni Cwiakala (courtesy Mark Cwiakala)

'MASTERCHEF' WINNER CARES FOR COMMUNITYIt’s been a busy couple years for Beni Cwiakala.

The renowned Chicago chef has met and cooked with countless other chefs across the city. She’s been a featured guest on talk shows both locally and nationally. And she’s raised money and awareness for people facing hunger in Chicago.

Pretty impressive for only being 13 years old.

Cwiakala was the winner of the sixth season of “MasterChef Junior,” Gordon Ramsay’s cooking competition show for pint-sized prodigies. She was 11 when the show aired, and just 9 when she filmed and won the competition.

“It’s been really fun. … I’ve learned a lot over the past four years,” Cwiakala said about her life post-“MasterChef” during a Zoom interview from her Pilsen home. She caught up with the

“For people to get fresh, healthy food, now more than ever, is very important.” —Beni Cwiakala

ever before, our neighbors are — and will continue to be — at increased risk of hunger this winter.

Whether it’s through financial support, or volunteering your time, here are a few ways you can still include giving back in your holiday plans.

THE GIFT OF GIVING:

Consider a tribute or memorial gift for those on your holiday gift list. It’s also a way to help feed families while honoring a special occasion or a loved one’s memory. For businesses navigating the work-from-home era, tribute gifts can also recognize employees or clients in lieu of a holiday party.

Learn more at chicagosfoodbank.org/ tribute-memorial-giving/

START A FOOD DRIVE:

Virtual food drives are not only great for social distancing, they allow the Food Depository to directly purchase our most needed items, including fresh produce. They also help us best stretch your dollars — every $1 can help provide food for three meals.

To organize or participate, go to myfooddrive.org

VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME:

Throughout the pandemic, volunteers have still been coming to the Food Depository nearly every day to help pack food. Staff have implemented additional safety precautions, including mask requirements and configurations to keep people six feet apart.

Check out chicagosfoodbank.org/volunteer for available times.

SUPPORT LOCAL

FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGNS:

Help our neighbors in need can be as easy as shopping for groceries or ordering pizza for the family. Fundraising campaigns combine community service with your everyday activities.

To learn about our holiday campaigns and events, go to the calendar on Page 2 and visit chicagosfoodbank.org/ ongoing-partnerships

SHOP AT OUR STORE:

Buy Food Depository merch, including our new fruit and veggie-themed face masks, for yourself or as a gift. Net profits support the Food Depository.

Shop now at chicagosfoodbank.org/store

5 WAYS TO GIVE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

For Respond Now, providing food is rooted deep in its history.

The suburban organization has operated a food pantry out of Chicago Heights since 1969, a decade before the Food Depository was founded. Today, as one of our community partners, its staff offers housing and food assistance to about 1,000 households a month.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization saw some of its highest numbers in years, similar to the number of households they served at the peak of the 2008 Recession, said executive director Carl Wolf. Though its volume has recently steadied, with the economy’s future still uncertain, Wolf worries

“that this is just the beginning.”

“I would want people to know that we need to consider our commitment to each other and kick it up a notch,” Wolf said.

Every holiday season, our community steps up to ensure families across Cook County have somewhere to turn to put food on the table. But with the pandemic causing a greater need than

Carl Wolf, executive director of Respond Now.

COVID safety precautions enable the Food Depository to still have volunteers help repack food.

Virtual food drives allow the Food Depository to purchase needed items, like fresh produce.


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Greater Chicago Food Depository4100 W. Ann Lurie PlaceChicago, IL 60632

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THANK YOU Cynthia had never thought about visiting a food pantry before the coronavirus pandemic.

But after the crisis affected her job as a restaurant waitress, the Chicago native and mother of a teenage daughter needed some extra help putting food on the table.

While waiting in line at the Chicago Hope pantry in Logan Square, Cynthia expressed her appreciation for the support. She hopes to return one day as a volunteer, as a way to pay it forward.

“I’m grateful, and I’m blessed,” she said. “We are blessed because you guys are here.”

Your generous support makes it possible for us and our hundreds of partners, like Chicago Hope, to help Cynthia put food on the table for her and her daughter.

On behalf of our partners and those we serve, thank you.Cynthia at the Chicago Hope pantry in Logan Square (photo by Alyssa Schukar for the Food Depository).

NOURISHING THE FUTURE - Greater Chicago Food Depository

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