Greater Chicago Food Depository Donations

Working With The Greater Chicago Food Depository To Produce An Inspiring Result

The virtual food drive ran from December 1st through December 15th and raised a total of $1,525.38. Thanks to the Food Depositorys buying power, every $1 helps provide 3 meals for those in need.

As a result, our Chicago teams donation provided a whopping 4,576 meals to those struggling in the Chicago community!

This year has been especially tough for a lot of people in this area. The pandemic has created an increase in unemployment and food insecurity, and as a result, one in seven people in the county are experiencing food insecurity this year. Our Chicago team was excited to lend a helping hand.

We are fortunate to be in a position to help those people and are so appreciative of Perficient for giving us the additional resources to do so with the Make a December Difference campaign, shared Katie Witham, Technical Consultant.

Too Good To Go And The Greater Chicago Food Depository Partner

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – Too Good To Go, the tech-for-good company and certified B-Corp powering the worlds #1 anti-food waste app, today announces its partnership with Greater Chicago Food Depository, the food bank serving Chicago and all of Cook County. This will allow Too Good To Go users to make monetary donations to the Food Depository directly through the app, which will support the nonprofit in providing food and hope to hundreds of thousands of individuals and families across Chicago and Cook County.

The partnership brings together the efforts of two like-minded food rescue players to create a more nourished, sustainable world. Through this new app feature, Chicagoans can take action against food insecurity and climate change as easily as: 1) Reserving a Surprise Bag pick-up and 2) Clicking Donate on the apps homepage to support the Food Depository . This is an easy, tangible way for Chicagoans to make a difference in reducing food waste and ensuring that surplus food can be repurposed for those facing food insecurity.

Were grateful for this unique and creative partnership with Too Good to Go, said Jill Rahman, Chief Operating Officer at the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Working together, we can help feed our neighbors facing hunger and reduce food waste at the same time.

In addition to giving monetary donations through the Too Good To Go app, Chicagoans can also support the Food Depository through its volunteer program.

ABOUT TOO GOOD TO GO

About Greater Chicago Food Depository

The Greater Chicago Food Depository strives to end hunger in Chicago communities by distributing food every day through its network of 650 pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and programs. These provide access to nourishment for more than 142,000 people each week, of which more than 1/3 are children and nearly 40% are working families. Volunteers and employees inspect, sort, and repackage all donated food to ensure safety, but they don’t stop there. Along with supplying community kitchens and food pantries, the organization provides nutritious meals for children’s programs and partners with Chicago Public Schools to distribute fresh produce and other nutritious food at food pantries located in schools. Last year, the Greater Chicago Food Depository distributed 66 million pounds of non-perishables, fresh produce, daily products, and meat–the equivalent of 150,000 meals each day to people in need across Cook County.

Also Check: Food Bank Of The Rockies Locations

Colleagues Provide Over 4500 Meals For The Greater Chicago Food Depository

by Anna Lehman on December 31st, 2020 | ~ 4 minute read

The season of giving is in full swing, and Perficient employees around the world are participating in unique and impactful ways. A group of colleagues in our Chicago office came together throughout December to donate to and support the Greater Chicago Food Depository in the spirit of Perficients Make a December Difference kindness campaign. The impact they made through this simple act is significant, and their passion for giving to others in this time of hardship is inspiring.

The $75 Million Project Which Will Include A Kitchen Preparing Some 10000 Meals Daily Was Temporarily Halted Due To The Pandemic The Agency Said

A new Greater Chicago Food Depository facility is expected to allow the agency to provide and deliver about 10,000 meals daily. | Provided photo.

Within a few weeks of the start of the pandemic, Kate Maehr saw lines outside some Chicago-area food pantries that she measured in city blocks.

We doubled the size of our output to make sure that our neighbors had the food that they needed to get by, said Maehr, the executive director and CEO of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, which houses and distributes some 117 million pounds of food from its 278,000-square-foot South Side facility to some 700 soup kitchens, food pantries and other facilities across Cook County.

Though those lines have since shrunk, the need for food remains staggering, Maehr said this week.

Blame inflation, worldwide supply chain issues, the end of the monthly child tax credit payments, among other reasons, she says.

Need is up again. More people turning to food pantries this month than last. We are not out of the woods, Maehr said.

To help in the battle against hunger, the food pantry announced plans this week to build a new 36,700-square-foot facility, including a commercial kitchen, at the current Archer Heights location on the Southwest Side. The facility, which also will house a nutrition education center and expanded parking, will allow the agency to prepare and distribute about 10,000 meals a day compared with 600 currently, the agency said. Thats about 2.5 million meals annually.

Recommended Reading: Best Food To Donate To Food Pantry

Living The Perficient Values

This virtual food drive is just one example of the amazing actions our Perficient team has enacted during the Make a December Difference campaign. Colleagues around the world have been participating in unique ways. Individuals in our Chennai and Bangalore offices pooled money to buy a dialysis machine for a local center, while others have chosen to give at the local level and support causes closer to home.

The impact this campaign has had around the world is inspiring and uplifting. We are proud of our employees for living the Perficient values in all that they do.

Now, how will you make a December Difference?

Perficient are big believers in giving back to the communities in which we live and work, and we have the opportunity to empower our colleagues to pay it forward and spread some much-needed joy. Its our hope that these single acts of giving and gratitude leave individual marks on the communities in which we live and work. Together, we have an opportunity to make a global impact.

Follow our Make a December Difference story at Life at Perficient and connect with us on , , , and . You can join our Perficient team on our Careers page or join our talent community for career tips, job openings, company updates, and more!

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Donating To The Pantry

Check donations can be mailed to the Northfield Township Food Pantry at 2550 Waukegan Road, Suite 100, Glenview, IL 60025.

Food donations can be dropped off at the pantry. Please place donations in the collection bins located to the left of our front doors.

UPDATE: October 27, 2022

• Canned vegetables
• Baking ingredients

Also Check: Food Bank Of North Central Arkansas

In Partnership With Feeding America The Siemens Foundation Is Providing Six Million Meals* To People In Need Through Local Food Banks Across The Country

The Siemens Foundation, through its partnership with Feeding America ®, today announced a donation of $100,000 to Greater Chicago Food Depository to address the growing need to fight hunger in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. With these funds, the food bank is able to provide more meals to people experiencing food insecurity in the Chicago community.

This donation is part of a larger national effort by the Siemens Foundation to provide six million meals* toFeeding America to supportpeoplein need in Atlanta Chicago Malvern, PA Orlando Sacramento and Washington, DC.

A year into the pandemic, food insecurity is a significantly more prevalent challenge across the country in communities where we live and work, said Dave Hopping, member of the Siemens Foundation Board of Directors and CEO of Siemens Smart Infrastructure Solutions & Services. With Siemens Smart Infrastructure North American Headquarters located in nearby Buffalo Grove, its important to serve the community in our own back yard, and this donation through Feeding America represents the Siemens Foundations commitment to doing our part and supporting families and individuals in need.

Aligned with its mission to close the opportunity gap in America, the Siemens Foundation worked closely with Feeding America to provide support to localmemberfood banks thatserve peoplein need.

Ways You Can Support The Pantry

Host a Food Drive:

There are lots of good reasons for you to host a food drive on behalf of the Pantry. We give away approximately 2,000 items of food a week to food-insecure students. If you represent a student organization, this is a great service project that benefits your fellow students. If you work in a department, this is a fun team-building exercise. Before you start, contact the Wellness Center for tips, strategies, and things to consider when organizing your drive. Reach us at: . Please see the list of suggested items needed for donations below.

Box to Shelf Tuesday Volunteers Needed:

Every Tuesday, the UIC Pop-Up Pantry receives 1,000 to 3,000 pounds of food. This is awesome because it allows us to feed a lot of students. However, we are a small crew, so its a challenge to unload and shelve 50 to 70 boxes of food and produce. On Box to Shelf, Tuesday volunteers would wear comfortable clothing and assist in removing food items from boxes and neatly placing them on shelves and help to break them down to be recycled. This operation occurs every Tuesday between the hours of 8:00am to 2:00pm. Whether you have one hour to donate or two, we are happy to welcome you to our crew! To schedule a volunteer session, reach out to us at: wellnesscenter@uic.edu.

Volunteer at the Greater Chicago Food Depository:

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Greater Chicago Food Depository

The Greater Chicago Food Depository is a nonprofit organization that fights hunger throughout Cook County, Illinois. The GCFD distributes donated and purchased food through a network of 700 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and community programs, serving more than 800,000 adults and children every year. In fiscal year 2016, the GCFD distributed more than 70 million pounds of nonperishable food, produce, dairy products, and meat – the equivalent of more than 160,000 meals every day. Of the $96,883,955 spent in 2016, over 90% went to direct food distribution programs.

The GCFD is a charter member of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network.

Making A December Difference In The Local Chicago Community

Our Make a December Difference Campaign kicked off in mid-December when Perficient gave all 4,500 of their employees across the world $100 in their paycheck. Each person was asked to use that money to pay it forward toward a cause that is most meaningful to them. Colleagues rallied around this campaign and immediately began donating their given money. Some donated individually and some donated in collaboration with other team members.

In our Chicago office, fifteen people worked together to help out the Greater Chicago Food Depository by pooling their donations. This organization has importance to them as they have done successful food drives for this organization in the past.

Read Also: Food Banks In Anderson Indiana

Why Your Company Should Donate Food And Other Faqs

Why should my company donate food?

If you are unable to donate goods, monetary gifts are always welcome and support our food purchasing and distributions of nutritious foods to our community.

What if Im an individual looking to donate food?

We recommend you host a virtual food drive to make an immediate difference to end hunger in our community. Its an easy and fun way to provide food where its needed most. If you would prefer to hold a traditional food drive, learn more about drop-off locations and needed items.

DONOR SPOTLIGHT

Hosting A Virtual Food Drive

During most holiday seasons, the team volunteers at this food depository to connect with their community and make a positive impact on those in need. Since they were unable to help out in person due to the ongoing pandemic, they decided to host a virtual drive instead. The Chicago Service Committee organized the drive and invited team members to give monetary donations. They also encouraged colleagues to put their December Difference money towards the drive if they had not yet chosen a cause. Each donation would help bring food, dignity, and hope to the needy across Chicago and Cook County.

BONUS:Perficient Team Connects Over Sustainability Virtually

Read Also: Harry Chapin Food Bank Schedule

What Are The Best Canned Food Items To Donate And Other Faqs

What are the guidelines for canned food donations?

Food drive donations must be:

• In the original container with the original product label
• Within the Use by or Best if used by dates
• Free of damage, stains or moisture
• Standard retail food products

PLEASE NOTE: Boxes used to collect and store food must NOT have been used previously to store raw meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, produce or chemicals. Please store products in a cool, dry and clean area.

What are the best canned food items to donate?

The items most needed by our network of 700 food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters are:

Are there any items you will not accept?

The Food Depository is not able to accept the following types of food donations:

• Items that have been opened or partially used including cans, bottles and dry goods
• Products not in their original packaging
• Products missing ingredient information labels
• Homemade or home-canned foods
• Products that have become contaminated
• Alcoholic beverages or energy drinks of any kind

Additionally, the Food Depository is not able to accept the following types of non-food items, though you may contact your local food pantry to ask if they are currently accepting these items:

How can I promote my food drive?

If you would like to use the Food Depositorys logo on any materials you create, please email . Materials must be reviewed and approved by the Food Depository before being distributed.

Do I have to put my food donations in a certain type of box?