By 2030, the Greater Chicago Food Depository envisions a future where every person in every neighborhood has reliable, dignified access to three meals a day. No matter their zip code, income, or circumstance. That’s the goal.​

We’re living in a moment that demands more from all of us. Costs are rising. Support is shrinking. And hunger is growing. But this community has never been one to back down. When the challenge is big, Chicago steps up. That’s exactly what this plan calls us to do.​

We believe that food is a human right and that hunger is a problem we can solve. That’s why this plan isn’t just about meeting today’s needs. It’s about building what comes next. We’re investing in stronger food access systems, economic opportunity, and neighborhood-rooted solutions. From policy change to partnership, from thriving wage jobs to accessible nutrition, this plan mobilizes every tool we have to close the meal gap for good.​

This is not a wish. It’s a turning point. And we know what’s possible when Chicago unites. With this plan, we’re not waiting for change; we’re delivering it, block by block, plate by plate. Join us. Volunteer. Donate. Advocate. Because together, we can end hunger.

Ensure emergency food access for all in need​

Vision:​ Our neighbors facing food insecurity will have equitable access to culturally relevant, nutritious groceries and meals through a dignified experience.​

Immediate Challenge:​ One in five area households is food insecure. Demand is rising at local food access programs. Cuts to the safety net will create more need in the months and years to come.​

Strategic Initiatives:

• Ensure that every person visiting a grocery program in our network can receive a week’s worth of food for their household
• By 2030, distribute 10,000 healthy prepared meals every day to our neighbors who need them most
• Innovate and grow our partnership with City Colleges of Chicago to ensure every student has the food they need to thrive

Improve participation in the safety net​

Vision:​ We will remove barriers to ensure eligible neighbors can easily access programs like SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and WIC (the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children). Doing so will reduce food insecurity while releasing investment in our community.​

Immediate Challenge:​ Federal safety net programs are the most impactful tools to reduce poverty and hunger. But many of them are underutilized even during times of sustained high need. Awareness gaps, administrative hurdles and public policy barriers make it difficult for eligible families to access these programs and stay enrolled. This unnecessarily increases poverty and hunger while keeping up to $7 billion in federal funds from reaching Illinois.​

Strategic Initiatives:​

• Close the SNAP participation gap among City Colleges of Chicago students
• Ensure every person in Cook County who is eligible for nutrition benefits can access them
• Advance Benefit Illinois – a statewide project to increase participation in safety net programs

Advocate for policy and systems change​​

Vision:​ We will center the voices and needs of our neighbors while building a movement to end hunger. We will advocate for food and nutrition security and solutions to the root causes of hunger.​

Immediate Challenge:​ Hunger in the United States is not the result of scarcity. It is the result of policy decisions and acceptance of poverty. The federal safety net is shrinking as the cost of living rises. Our neighbors most impacted by hunger and its root causes are too often unheard by decision makers.​

Strategic Initiatives:​

• Advocate locally to make the safety net work better for our neighbors
• Advocate at the federal level to protect and strengthen anti-hunger programs
• Engage and center our neighbors and partners in grassroots advocacy

Improve access to thriving wages and economic opportunity

Vision:​ Everyone who can be employed is employed with a job that pays a thriving wage. Creating economic development in communities facing high levels of food insecurity will address the root causes of hunger.​

Immediate Challenge:​ 36% of Cook County households have incomes below the basic cost of living. More working families are falling behind. Economic opportunity is historically uneven and often dictated by zip code.​

Strategic Initiatives:

• In partnership with City Colleges of Chicago, create pathways to thriving wage careers
• Eliminate food insecurity for neighbors investing in their futures
• Leverage our spending power to create local economic impact

Invest in our people and infrastructure​​

Vision:​ We will live our values, provide thriving wages and support a team of experts and changemakers who are up to the challenge of ending hunger. We will invest in systems that accelerate our work and impact. ​

Immediate Challenge:​ Ending hunger in our community requires talented and hardworking people who are deeply engaged in the mission and embody our values. They must have the tools and resources to do their jobs effectively.​

Strategic Initiatives:​

• Make the Greater Chicago Food Depository the best place to work in Chicago
• Develop highly skilled and inspiring leaders
• Engage volunteers more deeply in our mission