A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION VOLUME 20.4 SUMMER 2016

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

IN THIS ISSUE

3 A FRESH APPROACH TO FIGHTING HUNGER

4 SUMMER MEALS FIGHT HUNGER, NOURISH CHILDREN

7 PARTICIPATE IN LUNCHTIME TO END HUNGER THIS MAY

Walking to end hunger p. 6

31st ANNUAL HUNGER WALK ON JUNE 25

Slowly drifting flecks of snow glinted in the morning sun at the corner of Francisco and Fullerton avenues in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood. It was late February, and it was one of the coldest days of the winter.

The Food Depository’s FRESH Truck – a walkthrough produce market – was parked nearby, distributing fresh fruit and vegetables to patients of the Cook County Health and Hospitals System (CCHHS) clinic next door.

Bundled up in the line that stretched down the block was Rosa, with her 5-year-old daughter. Rosa is a stay at home mom, taking care of her three children. Her husband works as a mechanic, but their monthly income doesn’t cover all the bills and they often don’t have enough left for groceries.

“I don’t want my children to go hungry, so this really helps,” she said.

Not far from Rosa and her daughter in line was Johnnie. She is working part-time and

her husband works in a marble factory, but the couple still finds it hard to make ends meet and support their 6-year-old daughter.

“This kind of food – carrots, broccoli, onions and other fresh vegetables and fruit keeps my family healthy,” she said.

The FRESH Truck operates at the intersection of health and hunger. For those struggling with hunger, produce is often too expensive or not easily accessible, and without nutritious fruit and vegetables, a person’s health can suffer. In partnership with CCHHS and ACCESS Community Health Network clinics throughout Cook County, the FRESH Truck promotes health by making produce available to the patients who need it.

On that day in Logan Square, the truck was distributing cantaloupes, cabbage, kale, onions, peppers and more.

“This is incredibly important for my family. It’s truly a godsend,” Johnnie said, as she headed back home.

Currently, the FRESH Truck distributes produce at four clinics, with plans to expand the service in the future. n

2 FOOD FOR THOUGHT GREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY 3

Kate Maehr, Executive Director and CEO

PERSPECTIVEI started attending the Hunger Walk – the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s annual event that benefits pantries, soup kitchens and shelters – back in the mid 1990’s, and it remains one of my favorite days of the year. I look forward to it for so many reasons. I love seeing the thousands of smiling faces enjoying a morning by the lake. I love the energy in the air and the camaraderie. But what I most anticipate about the Hunger Walk is something intangible – it’s the reminder that the fight against hunger is all about community. Because for me, the Hunger Walk is an incredible example of how we are stronger together.

The Hunger Walk unites so many people – families, corporate teams, donors, community groups, Food Depository partner agencies and clients. On their own, each of these groups is instrumental in the fight against hunger. But together at the Hunger Walk, our voice is amplified. And it echoes throughout Cook County.

The community of support we see at the Hunger Walk is amazing. It gives me such hope, even as we continue facing a high level of need. For each of the last six years, Food Depository pantries have seen at least five million visits. And, more than 760,000 men, women and children in Cook County are at risk of hunger.

If we’re going to make our community a better place – if we’re going to end hunger – we have to do it together. Let’s take the first step on June 25 at Jackson Park, at the 31st Annual Hunger Walk.

CHICAGO COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE AWARDS DINNER RAISES NEARLY $1.3 MILLION FOR HUNGER-RELIEF

In March, more than 1,800 of Chicago’s top commercial real estate brokers, architects, developers, property managers and contractors attended the 28th Annual Chicago Commercial Real Estate Awards Dinner. The event, presented by Associated Bank, honors the year’s best achievements in the commercial real estate industry. This year’s dinner raised $1.28 million for the Food Depository, including $110,000 from the Brown Bag Challenge, which Sterling Bay won.

Thank you to the commercial real estate community for your continued, generous support.

A FRESH approach to fighting hunger

Rosa and her daughter receive healthy produce from the FRESH Truck in Logan Square.

Food Depository’s Fresh Truck impacts lives, improves health

The 28th Annual Chicago Commercial Real Estate Awards Dinner was chaired by Chloe Reaumond (front row, center) and co-chaired by Jamie Kishel (front row, third from right).

Johnnie works part-time and her husband works at a marble factory, but the couple still struggles to support their daughter.

The numbers behind summer meals

4 FOOD FOR THOUGHT GREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY 5

“I think the need during the summer is greater than most people can imagine.”

That’s the perspective of Deanna Hallagan, who manages a summer meals site on the West Side of Chicago. Nearly every day during the summer, she’s confronted with a difficult reality: when school is out, many children struggle with hunger.

“Summer adds a whole other dimension when families have to feed their kids outside of school,” she said.

Indeed, many children who eat free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch at school no longer receive those meals during the summer. For families at risk of hunger, it can be a challenge to provide extra meals for their children from June through August.

In Illinois, only 14 percent of eligible children receive summer meals. Those meals are available, but oftentimes families don’t know where to find them. When kids don’t have consistent access to food during the summer, the break can feel far from relaxing. Instead, it can be a time of uncertainty, and can even present health challenges.

“Children need healthy food and a healthy diet for normal growth and development,” said Angela Odoms-Young, Food Depository board member and associate professor of kinesiology and nutrition at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

That’s why summer meals are so important.

“These programs have helped alleviate child poverty and food insecurity,” she said. “They help fill a gap in society.”

How does the Food Depository fight summer hunger?

Providing meals: This summer, the Food Depository plans to mobilize its largest-ever response to summer hunger by distributing more than 600,000 meals to children at nearly 300 different meal sites, including libraries, faith-based and community organizations, summer camps and schools. Included in the effort to fight summer hunger is the Lunch Bus, which distributes meals to kids at 24 stops each weekday throughout Chicago and the South Suburbs.

Raising awareness: Summer meals are available for children who need them. However, awareness is one of the greatest barriers to participation. The Food Depository and other partners throughout Illinois work to raise awareness of summer meals using a number of tools, including:• Summerfeedingillinois.org: Provides a

comprehensive list of summer meal sites by ZIP Code.

• Summer Meals Hotline: Families with children who need summer meals can call (800) 359-2163 to speak to someone who can help connect them to programs.

• Texting: Parents can also text “FOODIL” or “COMIDAIL” to 877-877 for a list of summer meal

sites near them.

• Neighborhood canvassing: During the summer, the Food Depository partners with Community Organizing and Family Issues (COFI), a parent-led nonprofit that works to improve the lives of low-income children and families. COFI and Food Depository staff go door-to-door in high-need communities raising awareness of summer meals by handing out flyers and door hangers. Since the effort started three years ago, the communities canvassed by COFI have seen an increase in summer meals participation.

Advocating: In early May, nearly 300 anti-hunger advocates from the Food Depository and other organizations visited Springfield for the annual Lobby Day. At the event, advocates met with lawmakers and encouraged them to visit summer meal sites in their districts and help us raise awareness for those programs. n

Summer meals fight hunger, nourish healthy childrenThe need, consequences and response to summer hunger in Cook County

Summer Stories: Blanca, Itzel and JulianThe summer is a challenge for Blanca, her 9-year-old daughter Itzel and her 2-year-old son Julian. Her daughter receives free break-fast and lunch at school during the year, but Blanca and her husband struggle to afford the food they need to fill in the gaps when Itzel is on summer break.

“We have to keep things tight right now,” Blanca said.

Blanca’s husband is working, but their budget is tight. That’s why Blanca takes her children to a Lunch Bus stop in the Pilsen neighbor-hood during the summer.

“Everything is so expensive so this helps,” she said.

Itzel likes all the food she gets at the Lunch Bus. But her favorite part?

“Just having the lunch is my favorite part,” she said.

14% The percent of children

eligible to receive school meals in Illinois who are

receiving summer meals.

600,000How many meals

the Food Depository expects to distribute

this summer.

300 The number of sites

the Food Depository will be distributing meals at

this summer.

180Number of miles each

weekday the Lunch Bus travels to distribute meals throughout Cook County.

The Lunch Bus stops at 24 sites each weekday during the summer.

6 FOOD FOR THOUGHT GREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY 7

‘Our culture is one of giving back’

Each year in late spring, employees at the Chicago office of Prophet – a global brand and marketing consulting firm – get ready to Bid on Bites. The annual tradition is a silent auction of donated food-related items and services. On the auction block? An eclectic mix of secret recipes from employee family cookbooks, baked goods, the chance to get lunch delivered, and other homemade items.The auction is part of a larger commitment for Prophet: to support the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s Hunger Walk – the annual event that raises awareness of hunger and supports food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters in Cook County. The 31st Annual Hunger Walk will take place Saturday, June 25, 2016 at Jackson Park.

“Prophet has adopted the Food Depository’s mission to end hunger and we strive for that throughout the year,” said Scott Davis, Prophet’s chief growth officer and member of the Food Depository’s Board of Directors.

“This mission becomes especially important in June when we aim to increase awareness, incite a movement and eventually end hunger through the Hunger Walk.”Prophet has been encouraging staff to get involved in the Hunger Walk for the last five years. In 2015, nearly 40 of the company’s employees and their family members attended the event.

“The Hunger Walk is fun way for us to spend time together as an office outside of work,” said Danny Chapman, a senior associate at Prophet and Food Depository Associate Board member.In addition to the silent auction last year, Prophet employees organized social events to raise money for the Hunger Walk. In total, they collected more than

$9,200 for the event, including $1,700 from the Bid on Bites auction alone.This year, Prophet wants to deepen its employees’ understanding of the Food Depository’s mission before the Hunger Walk by getting a group together to volunteer at the warehouse.

“We want people to make that emotional connection with the organization and getting there to volunteer is a great way to do that,” Danny said.Ultimately, philanthropy is deeply rooted in Prophet’s mission.

“Our partnership with the Food Depository consistently helps feed the souls of our team at Prophet and cultivates an employee experience that represents our values,” Scott said. “We get as much from working with the Food Depository as we give, which is truly remarkable.” n

PARTNERS FOR ALL SEASONS DELIVER YEAR-ROUND IMPACT

When you become a Food Depository monthly Partner for All Seasons donor, you ensure steady and dependable funding that delivers a lasting impact to hungry families throughout Cook County.

A small gift of $30 per month ($1 per day) as a Partner for all Seasons could provide enough food for a struggling family of four for more than three

months. Just $55 per month could provide nutritious meals at a children’s program for a week. And, $100 per month provides 1,620 pounds of food for a veteran’s program.

To learn more about becoming a Partner for All Seasons, visit chicagosfoodbank.org/monthlygiving.

THIS MAY, IT’S LUNCHTIME TO END HUNGERIn Chicago, incredible options for going out to lunch are available all over the city. Whether you’re looking for a sandwich, pizza or a nutritious salad, it’s easy to find food to satisfy any craving. But for some, a simple lunch is not always a guarantee.

Each year, the Food Depository serves more than 812,000 individuals in our community. In a town where it is easy to spend $10 on lunch, 1 in 6 people need help putting food on the table.

You can help by participating in LunchTime to End Hunger. From May 16 – 20, donate what you would normally spend on lunch for the week, and help ensure hungry men, women and children in Cook County have access to healthy food.

For more information, visit chicagosfoodbank.org/lunchtime.

Prophet staff and family attend the Hunger Walk in 2015.

How one corporate group is dedicated to making an impact through the Hunger Walk

Get your organization or company involved in the Hunger Walk!Organizing a Hunger Walk team with your company or family is easy. Visit chicagosfoodbank.org/HungerWalk to register to walk and fundraise. We look forward to seeing you on June 25 at Jackson Park!

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

MAY 16 — 20LunchTime to End Hunger.

MAY 24Volunteer Food Rescue.*National Restaurant Association Food Show.McCormick Place.

MAY 30Memorial Day.Food Depository closed.

JUNE 13Chicago Symphony Orchestra Musicians Concert Benefiting the Food Depository.Studebaker Theater.410 S. Michigan Ave.

JUNE 22Volunteer Food Rescue.*United Fresh Food Show.McCormick Place.

JUNE 23Volunteer Food Rescue.*FMI Connect Food Show.McCormick Place.

JUNE 2531st Annual Hunger Walk.Jackson Park.

JULY 4Independence Day.Food Depository closed.

AUG. 11 — SEP. 6CANstruction exhibit open.Merchandise Mart lobby.

*TO SIGN UP, VISIT

CHICAGOSFOODBANK.ORG.

Greater Chicago Food Depository 4100 W. Ann Lurie Place Chicago, Illinois 60632

773-247-FOOD chicagosfoodbank.org

Non-Profit Organ.

U.S. Postage

P A I D

Chicago, IL

Permit No. 1011

Providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in our community. | chicagosfoodbank.org