If you want to give back, consider donating to the Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD). The food bank works with more than 700 partner programs and organizations to provide emergency food and job training to people in need in Cook County. This organization works to combat the root causes of Hunger, including food insecurity, homelessness, and low income. It’s also a member of Feeding America.
GCFD’s Older Adult Program
Donating to the Food Depository’s Older Adult Program is a great way to give back to your community. The Food Depository works with community organizations to provide free, nutritious food to the city’s elderly. The Older Adult Choice Market is one such event. It’s a weekly opportunity for older adults to buy healthy foods while spending time with their neighbors. The market is held every other Thursday at the Pav YMCA in Berwyn, Illinois. Volunteers line the gym floor with boxes of fresh produce.
Many older adults are experiencing increased budget pressures. The rising cost of healthcare and basic living expenses leaves little money to buy nutritious food. Many older adults live on fixed incomes and can’t afford to eat healthy meals at all times. According to Stuart Tucker, the Food Depository’s Older Adult Program Coordinator, these older adults have access to few resources in their community.
Food donations to the Food Depository are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. Donations can be made by mail, online, or through donor-advised funds. IRA and 401(c)3 accounts are also accepted. Food donations can be sent directly to the food depository.
Donating to the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s Older Program helps older adults receive nutritious food. The Food Depository partners with the Department of Veteran Affairs and AmeriCorps to provide the services. It also runs a weekly food pantry at the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center.
Produce mobile
The Greater Chicago Food Depository is a Chicago-based nonprofit food bank that works with over 700 community partners to provide nutritious food to Cook County, Illinois neighbors. In addition to providing food, the organization provides job training and other advocacy services to help fight Hunger. It is a member of Feeding America.
The Producemobile will deliver donated and free produce to residents of Altgeld Gardens, a neighborhood on the South Side. The mobile produce pantry will provide fresh fruits and vegetables to families in the area and fill in nutritional gaps. The Greater Chicago Food Depository sponsors the produce mobile.
Currently, the Producemobile serves both Chicago and Evanston. The Fleetwood-Jourdain location, which opened in May, accepts surplus produce from the USDA. It will operate for two more months before closing in June. Both areas are open to residents in Cook County and are staffed by volunteers. Mary Beth Roth, the Producemobile’s site manager, said that the amount of produce given to each resident depends on how much the Depository delivers to each location. The volunteers will know what will be available once the pallets are unloaded.
The Producemobile program has been an ongoing effort since 2001. Volunteers can provide fresh produce to low-income neighborhoods in Chicago and the suburbs. The Producemobile donates fifteen to 25 pounds of fruits and vegetables to families and individuals. The Producemobile’s truck makes two daily stops and is located in high-need neighborhoods. Evanston is one such community, with 14% of its population food-insecure. The Evanston Hospitality Center for the Homeless is another local program that distributes produce to those in need.
During the summer season, the Producemobile travels around the city, delivering fresh produce to underserved communities. A 268,000-square-foot warehouse is completed, and a training center and produce mobile are added. Summer meal programs are added in partnership with local schools. Mobile Pantry Programs deliver food to underserved areas on weekends. Outreach services help eligible individuals apply for federal nutrition benefits. Healthy Kids Markets and summer Lunch Buses are also added to existing programs.
Hunger Walk
The 33rd annual Hunger Walk at the Greater Chicago Food Depository raised funds for the organization that operates food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other programs for Cook County residents. The event has more than 800 walkers and is sponsored by various companies and organizations. Participants are required to donate $40, which helps support the food banks’ partner agencies. With the funds raised from the Walk, the food banks can continue to serve those in need throughout the year.
One of the best ways to get involved with the Hunger Walk is to become a participant. By joining the Hunger Walk, you can update your profile on the website, email your family and friends, organize bake sales, and promote the cause in school publications and websites. Finally, you can make your Hunger Walk a school event by raising funds in your community.
The Hunger Walk has become a popular event in Chicago. The organization’s programs and services have been evolving since 1986. The Producemobile, or “farmers’ market on wheels,” was established early. It distributed fresh fruits and vegetables to low-income neighborhoods. The Mobile Pantry program was launched in 2007 and is now a large-scale program that distributes food to more than twelve sites monthly. The Mobile Pantry Program responds to the growing need for food by delivering food to areas with limited access. In addition, the Food Depository began its first Kids Cafe(r), partnering with local after-school programs and providing hot meals to underprivileged children.
Donation receipts
If you’re looking for a tax-deductible charity that works to eliminate Hunger, the Greater Chicago Food Depository might be the right place to look. The organization is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, and all donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Donations can be made through various means, including online, mail, and donor-advised funds or IRAs. You can also donate food directly to the organization.
Donating food to a food bank is one of the most effective ways to help the hungry in your community. You can donate food by purchasing canned goods, frozen food, and other items at a grocery store and then filling your freezer with these supplies. Contributing to the Food Depository will provide your neighbors with three nutritious meals for a single dollar. This can double or triple the value of the food you might otherwise buy at a grocery store.
The Food Depository has a proven track record of helping those in need. Since opening in 1979, the Food Depository has worked to meet the needs of more than 700 food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters in Cook County. Since its founding, the Food Depository has doubled its annual food distribution and now serves 812,000 people in the area.
The GCFD has two mission areas, making it an excellent choice for donating food. The first is its Perishable Food Program, now called “Food Rescue.” This program helps to collect unused food from restaurants and caterers and distribute it to local soup kitchens. In 1993, the food bank expanded its distribution by opening a Produce People Share program, addressing the growing need for fresh fruits and vegetables in the community. The second mission of the organization is the Kids Cafe, which offers hot meals to low-income children.
