Taking Action Against Hunger with Nourishing Hope

What is the mission of Nourishing Hope?

Nourishing Hope is one of the largest and longest-operating hunger relief organizations in Chicago, providing the equivalent of more than 4.5 million meals and more than 6,000 mental health and social services each year.

Our Mission: Nourishing Hope through food, mental health and social services so that all of our neighbors can thrive.

We envision a city where all people have the resources needed for a dignified life.

What are some of the biggest challenges you face in combating hunger?

Nourishing Hope sustains its food pantry and online market programs with the help of over 7,000 volunteers each year. Meeting the rising need truly takes all of us. We’re always in need of more volunteers. Even an hour or two a week is everything to an organization like ours. Our volunteers pack produce, help our neighbors choose their groceries in our pantries, and drive food to seniors and people living with disabilities who rely on our home delivery program.

We’re continuing to serve far more families with children, reflecting national trends in increased child poverty and food insecurity. So far this fiscal year, we’ve served around 35% more families with children than this time last year — and more than double the number from two years ago. Additionally, we’ve seen 21% more people turning to us for the first time ever, many of whom are new arrivals to Chicago. If you need help, we are here for you. This includes longtime Chicagoans and people who are new to our city. It’s never been either/or — it’s always been both.

Nourishing hope has some big plans ahead of us. We plan to serve 30% more households over the next five-years, primarily through expanding our partnerships with trusted organizations in communities that have long endured racial inequities or otherwise are in need of our services. Equity is at the heart of our plan for sustainable growth. Our approach has always been to serve the whole person with dignity and respect.

What are the main programs and services that Nourishing Hope offers?/Are there specific geographic areas or communities that you focus on?

We’ve grown exponentially from our flagship location in Lakeview. Nourishing Hope is now serving people from nearly every Chicago zip code. Families from all 77 Chicago neighborhoods can come to Nourishing Hope, or connect with one of our partners, to receive the assistance they need. Our food programs include two walk-in food pantries, Sheridan Market in Lakeview and El Mercadito in Humboldt Park, a home delivery program for older adults and people living with disabilities, and an online market program to order free, fresh groceries online for pickup. We work with over 30 community organizations – primarily on the South and West Sides of Chicago – to serve as pick-up points for our neighbors enrolled in our Online Market. We pack food orders and fresh produce boxes at two warehouse spaces – The Hub in Ravenswood and our Headquarters in West Town.

Additionally, we provide free, mental health counseling at Sheridan Market, at our Headquarters, and via telehealth. We offer these therapy sessions in both Spanish and English. In addition to individual therapy sessions, we have group therapy sessions throughout the year. Last year we hosted Entre Vecinas – a support group for migrant women that was hosted in Spanish.

When people come to us for food, they are often in need of additional supports – finding work, housing, transportation, and applying for benefits. We offer free social services (both drop-in and by appointment) at our walk-in pantries in both English and Spanish.

We also have a program called Health & Hope, which provides nourishment and food to low-income patients undergoing medical treatments. This program is a collaborative partnership between Nourishing Hope and three area hospitals: Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Lurie Children’s Hospital, and Swedish Hospital.

How do partnerships enhance your ability to serve the community?

Partnerships expand our reach and bolster our vision of serving more people in need. Each year, the corporate, foundation, and small business community provide meals and social services to tens of thousands of Chicago families in need of support. These partnerships support our signature programs like our Online Market, our Home Delivery program for older adults and people with disabilities, and our Health and Hope program, which partners with local hospitals to help patients experiencing food insecurity. Partnerships also allow us to continue the essential work of our mental health counseling and social services programming, which support communities across Chicago.

Our corporate partners like DRW are especially important, providing both monetary and volunteer support. In the past year, DRW employees generously provided 26 hours of service to support our Online Market. The group packed 138 Online Market orders for working families across the city. With over 100 volunteer shifts each week, we frequently schedule volunteer events with our partners through our convenient group registration process.

Nourishing Hope offers multiple partnership levels that ensure year-round recognition for our generous supporters, who play a central role in bringing our mission to life.

How can people donate to support your mission, and what are the different ways to contribute?

Whether you are able to give financially, donate food or household items, or volunteer your time, we’re incredibly grateful for your support. Sign up for a volunteer shift or make a donation directly on our website, www.nourishinghopechi.org. It’s always worth checking with your employer to see if they offer donation matching or a donation match for volunteering.

You can get involved in supporting our work from anywhere by hosting a virtual food drive or by hosting a food drive in your community. DRW supported our Nourishing Hope Gala just last week as a promoter sponsor. Sponsoring a fundraiser is an incredibly impactful way to sustain our programs.

Nourishing Hope is a grassroots organization founded by three women. We’ve grown over the past 54 years by people sharing our work directly with their community. Please share our emails or social media messages with your network, invite people in, and send them our way to volunteer or support. We’d be honored to have you join us in providing food for today, and hope for tomorrow.