Questions or comments? Please feel free to email the volunteer department at volunteers@nourishinghopechi.org.

VOLUNTEER ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPDATES

REMINDER: SIGNING UP FOR SHIFTS

This is a friendly reminder to only sign up for shifts that you know you can attend for the full duration of the shift. If you need to cancel a shift, please remember to cancel on your personal volunteer site. If you have to cancel within 24 hours of your shift, please email the shift coordinator and the site coordinator (emails are included in the confirmation email) to let them know that you will not be able to make it. We appreciate your cooperation!

NOURISHING HOPE INTRODUCES COMPOSTING PROGRAM

Thanks to a generous, anonymous donor, we have been able to launch a composting pilot program at headquarters!

WasteNot Compost now picks up four 32-gallon composting bins on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, with each pickup weighing in at about 500 pounds of food. Our first service was on May 16 and so far we have composted 8,000 pounds of food!

Big thanks to staff member Austin (pictured) for helping lead this program!

LIMITED EDITION PRIDE SHIRTS AVAILABLE

Have you seen Nourishing Hope staff and volunteers wearing our new Nourishing Hope Pride shirts and wondered how you can get your hands on one? Now is your chance!

We still have a limited quantity of our shirts available which we're offering for a suggested donation of $30.

Visibility is a powerful tool for showing up for the LGBTQ+ community. Show off your Pride, show your support for our LGBTQ+ neighbors and show off your commitment to Nourishing Hope!

Please note that all shirts must be picked up from our headquarters location. Orders are going fast — we are sold out of XS, M, and L tees.

Get your Pride shirt!

WE'RE HIRING!

Did you know that many current Nourishing Hope staff members started as volunteers?

You could be next!

Current openings include:

Click here to have a look at our career opportunities!

PRIDE MONTH DONATION MATCH

(Nourishing Hope staff, family and friends marching in this year's Pride Parade with Equality Illinois.)

We’re down to the final day of our Pride Month fundraising campaign. Pride Month is a time of celebration AND action. If you haven’t done enough of the latter, now is your chance!

Please make a gift today directly supporting the well-being of LGBTQ+ people, who are disproportionately affected by food insecurity and mental health struggles.

Our Pride Month campaign has been generously supported by a dollar-for-dollar match up to $30,000, thanks to Charles Garrido & Jason Mark Roberts from the FAF Foundation, and the ARVD Foundation.

Give today!

VOLUNTEER NEEDS

HOME DELIVERY DRIVERS NEEDED!

Summertime means things get a little quieter around here, but that doesn’t mean we see a decrease in need, particularly for our Home Delivery Programs.

Please consider signing up to become a home delivery driver to help our homebound neighbors access fresh groceries!

Shifts take place on Saturday mornings out of both headquarters and the Hub and only take one to two hours to complete. Please email alyssa.lavroff@nourishinghopechi.org to get involved!

HOME NORTH DELIVERY WAGONS

The Home Delivery North team is currently seeking a volunteer to assist with transporting wagons!

Use your own vehicle to pick up 7 portable folding wagons from the Hub, 5151 N. Ravenswood, then take the wagons to the delivery building. (Delivery building will either be 1032 W. Montrose, 4225 N. Sheridan, or 920 W. Lawrence depending on the week. Ana Petersohn will confirm the location with you upon wagon pick-up.)

You will assist with the delivery distribution shift, then bring the wagons back to the Hub when deliveries are completed. Please email alyssa.lavroff@nourishinghopechi.org if you are interested in helping with this shift.

EL MERCADITO DISTRIBUTION

(Nourishing Hope senior coordinator client experience, Carrie McCormack with NBC 5 anchor, Allison Rosati at El Mercadito.)

Do you enjoy Sheridan distribution shifts?

Consider a change of scenery by signing up for an El Mercadito distribution shift:

Monday through Wednesday 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Monday through Wednesday 12 p.m. – 4 pm.

Help is always appreciated at this site!

(Volunteers from Comcast and NBC Chicago attend a pre-shift volunteer meeting at El Mercadito.)

ONLINE MARKET VIDEO FEATURE

Check out this video covering the operations behind Nourishing Hope’s innovative Online Market program, featuring program expansion manager Natia Barnett.

HIGHLIGHTS AND STORIES

ON THE BLOG

In honor of Pride Month, several Nourishing Hope staff members were asked to reflect on their connections to Pride in a time where being queer feels especially perilous. Click here to read this poignant blog post.

Have you met our board president yet?

Be sure to check out this Q&A with our new board president Marc Brenner, who has some interesting, thoughtful things to say about Nourishing Hope's work and impact.

STAFF SPOTLIGHT — Kyle Friedler

Please extend a warm welcome to Kyle Friedler (he/him), who joined Nourishing Hope's development team as an institutional partnerships associate in May.

Kyle recently graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago with a Master's in Public Administration with a Concentration in Nonprofit Management. He looks forward to growing relationships and spreading Nourishing Hope's mission through his new role.

Kyle attended both UIC and Loyola Marymount University for his undergraduate degree and ran for both schools’ DI Cross Country & Track and Field teams. He is planning on potentially joining Nourishing Hope's marathon team for the 2024 Chicago marathon. As a native Chicagoan, Kyle will insist that Lou Malnati's is better than Giordano's and will bike to work throughout the winter provided there isn't too much snow on the ground.

SHOUTOUTS

Thank you to Karen C. (pictured) for securing a donation of four dozen toothbrushes from her dentist's office, Kerstin Horbal DDS. We are appreciative of hygiene item donations!

A HUGE shoutout to volunteers Raghav G. and Kyle P. for assisting a client in an emergency.

Thanks to Adam C. for spending his time home from college volunteering a few days a week at headquarters as a heavy lifter. His presence is equal parts kind and helpful!

Veteran volunteer Mandy H. has been back at headquarters this summer and has already stayed past her shift a few times to help with miscellaneous tasks. Thank you for being such a gem!

Richard B. and Brian K., thank you for the extra help on the produce packing line when we were short at headquarters!

Many thanks to Jim G., JC, Destined L., and Lena T. Having experienced heavy lifters on Friday mornings at the Hub makes a huge difference!

GET YOUR GALA TICKETS!

We would like to personally invite you to join us for Nourishing Hope's largest annual fundraiser, the Nourishing Hope Gala, taking place on September 29, 2023, at The Geraghty in Chicago. Early bird tickets are on sale now!

As an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty in Chicago, this gala represents our most significant fundraising effort of the year. This year, we aim to raise $900,000 to provide 200,000 essential services across our city. These services include not only monthly grocery access, but also mental health counseling, public benefits assistance, job search support, and housing assistance.

The gala itself promises to be a fantastic evening. With a silent auction filled with exciting prizes, live entertainment, and dancing, there will be plenty of fun! We'll honor the impact of Nourishing Hope and our partners over the past year and look forward to celebrating our shared achievements with all of our supporters. Volunteer opportunities will be available soon. Stay tuned!

Early bird ticket perks!

Reserve your seat at this year's gala before they go full price on August 1 and you will be entered to win tickets to see Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band on August 9 at Wrigley Field!