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Your generosity has made a powerful impact, bringing nourishment, hope and community to neighbors across Chicago. In this report, we highlight stories that show how your support creates lasting change — providing more than meals, but also comfort, stability and a chance to thrive. Together, we’re building a future where no one faces hunger alone.
Each story illustrates how your kindness makes a real difference. Scroll down to read these stories and see the impact you’ve made firsthand.
Thank You for Delivering Help & Hope in 2024
101 million meals reached neighbors in need.
32% of the food distributed was fruits and vegetables!
850+ food pantries, soup kitchens, school programs and other community partners ensured our neighbors had access to healthy food.
430,000 meals served to youth at over 200 partner distribution sites across Chicago and Cook County.
*Numbers from Fiscal Year 2024 (July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024)
A Fresh Start Through Food and Community
At the Agents of Hope food pantry in West Ridge, Qismah Salman found more than just food. She found the first taste of stability after nine years of uncertainty in a refugee camp.
When Qismah and her family arrived in the U.S. last year, they carried their belongings and the weight of years spent in survival mode.
“There was never enough,” she recalls of their time in the camp, where every meal felt uncertain.
The transition to life in a new country brought fresh challenges, but thanks to your support, the food pantry became an essential lifeline.
On her first visit, Qismah felt an overwhelming sense of relief. “For the first time in years,” she shares, “I had enough to make the meals my family loves.” Kebabs, stews and traditional dishes she hadn’t prepared in nearly a decade brought warmth back to her table. Sitting down to enjoy these meals together felt like reclaiming a piece of home they thought had been lost.
Today, Qismah does more than receive support from the pantry. Now, she offers it too. Four days a week, she volunteers at the very place that gave her family hope, helping neighbors in need find the same reassurance she found. “It feels good to give back,” Qismah says with a smile. “They helped me, and now I get to help others.”
Because of you, families like Qismah’s found a fresh start to rebuild their lives. Your generosity provided not only food, but comfort, community and hope. Together, we are transforming lives — one meal, one family, one act of kindness at a time.
Thank you for making stories like Qismah’s possible.
Your Support Nourishes Bodies and Souls
Jeanette Ford, a West Humboldt Park grandmother, waits every Thursday morning for the familiar knock on her door.
It’s not just any knock — it’s a delivery from the Food Depository, bringing several days’ worth of prepared meals. For Jeanette, these deliveries are essential. As arthritis has made cooking difficult, the meals allow her to use her limited energy on what matters most: spending time with her grandkids, one of her greatest joys.
The meals, crafted from scratch by the Food Depository’s Chicago’s Community Kitchens, do more than fill your plate — they bring freedom and comfort. You help make this possible!
The smile on Jeanette’s face when she answers the door reflects the gratitude of knowing that each meal means she can focus on her family instead of worrying about groceries or meal prep.
Thanks to supporters like you, Chicago’s Community Kitchens is now providing 2,500 made-from-scratch meals daily, delivering food — and hope — to those who need it most. Because of your kindness, neighbors across Chicago can focus on their lives, knowing they are not alone.
Together, we’re not just working to end hunger — we’re making moments like these possible, meal by meal, family by family. Thank YOU for standing with us and empowering neighbors like Jeanette to thrive!
Make a larger impact by donating appreciated stocks or securities. Avoid capital gains taxes and unlock more value for hunger-relief efforts. Stock donations are a smart way to help sustain our work while giving your portfolio room to grow.
Donor-Advised Funds (DAF)
Think of a DAF like a savings account for charitable giving. You can contribute as often as you’d like and recommend grants over time, all while receiving an immediate tax deduction. This option makes it easy to spread out your giving while ensuring maximum impact.
Estate and Legacy Planning
Estate and legacy gifts offer a way to leave a long-lasting mark. By including the Greater Chicago Food Depository as a beneficiary in your will or trust, you help ensure that no one in our community has to face hunger — now or in the future. These gifts allow you to reflect your commitment to building a better tomorrow, while also creating a legacy of compassion for generations to come.
Why Planned Giving Matters
With nearly 35% of households in Chicagoland struggling to meet basic living costs, your planned gift can help sustain programs that put food on the table for those who need it most. Every gift — whether through stock donations, donor-advised funds or legacy planning — makes a difference.
Together, We Can End Hunger
Planned giving goes beyond a single moment. It provides the foundation for sustainable support, offering nourishment and security to families across Chicago. Your generosity helps us meet the rising need head-on, making an impact one meal at a time. Visit legacy.chicagosfoodbank.org to explore the planned giving option that works best for you. If you have questions or have already included the Food Depository in your plans, please contact us at [email protected].
Find Food
Food & Medical BenefitsGet free help applying for SNAP/Link, Medicaid and other benefits.
Support for Older AdultsReceive shelf-stable food boxes and learn about programs to support healthy aging.
