According to a study released by the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Feed America, more than 678,000 people in Chicago and Cook County, including 250,000 children, receive emergency food each year. The Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD) is one the most efficient charities around thanks in part to the 14,000 volunteers who take bulk items down to individual/family-sizes by sorting, repacking, assembling boxes and bags, checking for expiration dates, labeling, and much more. Chicago Fins found out about the hunger needs that are happening in their community and have been volunteering to help fight the battle against hunger.
Quarterly, Fins carpool from the office and client sites to meet at the GCFD warehouse on Chicago’s southwest side. Volunteers have to be prepared to work on any of a range of food repacking requests depending on the demand for that week. A few of the needs include packing single and family-size emergency boxes, sorting and repacking Florida oranges, or working the Nourish for Knowledge assembly line. Recently Fins found themselves working on multiple assembly lines to help the Nourish for Knowledge program which was founded in 2005. Nourish for Knowledge provides students from low-income neighborhoods with healthy meals outside of school hours. Nearly 35 community schools now receive take-home bags for students in need. On May 26th over 1,700 take-home bags were assembled and prepared to ship for local students. Fins worked hand-in-hand with volunteers from all over Chicago to help open bags, fill, stock, and package boxes for children around Chicago.
“This was my first time at the Food Depository and it was both a fun and rewarding experience to work with my co-workers and community members to help feed children throughout Chicago,” said Dan Luszcz, Consultant. “I’m looking forward to going back and finding other ways to help give back through the GFCD.”
Hunger is a reality for many Americans and there are many ways to get involved to help stop hunger in your community:
Dallas
North Texas Food Bank
4500 S. Cockrell Hill Road
Dallas, TX 75236
www.ntfb.org
Houston
Houston Food Bank
3811 Eastex Freeway
Houston, TX 77026
www.HoustonFoodBank.org
Denver
Food Bank of the Rockies
10700 E. 45th Ave.
Denver, CO 80239
www.foodbankrockies.org
Seattle
Food Lifeline
1702 NE 150th St.
Shoreline, WA 98155
www.foodlifeline.org