The Friendship Center

Thank you to Forum Extended Care Services , Labelmaster, and Midco International employees who donated TWO CARS FULL of food and school supplies through their company-wide drives as part of our Restock the Shelves event at the end of August.

Thank you to our friends at Peterson Pulaski Business & Industrial Council for activating Chicago businesses to help fight hunger and restock the shelves!

We're equipping businesses to fight hunger during Hunger Action Month. Contact us at [email protected] if you want to take action.

This Hunger Action Month we are breaking down who our programs serve and how you can take action and help.

Our pantry distribution primarily serves families, seniors, and new arrivals. We are open four days a week for neighbors to grocery shop. Households can utilize the pantry twice a month. Every distribution provides access to fresh food as well and shelf-stable items.

We rely on the support of dozens of volunteers every week to stock shelves, check-in neighbors, shop with neighbors, and greet.

Our home delivery program serves around 100 households within our 10 mile service area. Neighbors must be homebound to qualify for home delivery. They are able to receive a delivery of fresh food and pantry items twice a month.

Home delivery is primarily on Saturdays and we rely on volunteers to pack boxes with requested items and deliver them to our neighbors.

Take action this month by volunteering for the first time, or encouraging a friend to volunteer with you! If you get a friend to volunteer you'll both receive one of our exclusive stickers. Sign up today at >> https://bit.ly/3OYd8El

🗣 CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS
With fall schedules changing folk's routines, we have a handful of volunteer shifts we need help filling for tomorrow. Please sign up if you're available >> https://bit.ly/3ytt1hD

11:30am - 2pm | Floater
1pm - 3:30pm | Pet Food Pantry sorter
2pm - 4:15pm | Check-In (must be trained already)
2:15pm - 4:30pm | Stocker/Sorter

Additionally, we are running the NA Beverage Tent at Ravenswood ArtWalk next weekend, September 14 - 15 and we need some volunteers to help us sell drinks. You can sign up here for a four-hour shift. >> https://bit.ly/3z7h7uo

It's Hunger Action Month! Here are five ways you can get involved with fighting hunger this September.

1. Advocate and raise awareness
2. Learn the facts about hunger
3. Volunteer at The Friendship Center
4. Organize a community food drive
5. Donate to help end hunger -- $5000 match will help provide 16 meals for every donated dollar!

Read more on how to take action on our blog >>> bit.ly/hamsept

Happy Labor Day! We're taking the day off to give our hardworking volunteers and staff extra rest time. Thank you to everyone who helps fight hunger by serving at The Friendship Center. We will be back tomorrow at 3pm.

If you need food assistance please use the Find Food tool on the Chicago Food Depository's website >> chicagosfoodbank.org/find-food/

¡Feliz Día del Trabajo! Nos tomaremos el día libre para darles a nuestros voluntarios y personal que trabajan duro tiempo de descanso adicional. Gracias a todos los que ayudan a combatir el hambre como voluntarios en The Friendship Center. Estaremos de regreso mañana a las 3:00 p. m.

Si necesita asistencia alimentaria, utilice la herramienta Find Food (Buscar alimentos) en el sitio web de Greater Chicago Food Depository.

At The Friendship Center, neighbors get to shop and choose the groceries they want. Very demure, very mindful.

Come volunteer with us and help provide access to food and vital resources on Chicago's Northwest side. Sign up today at https://bit.ly/3OYd8El

Thank you to our community for coming out to Restock the Shelves at Alarmist Brewing & Taproom yesterday! Through cash and food donations we will be able to provide 16,108 meals to our neighbors facing hunger.

It was a fun night to gather in Alarmist's incredible space and enjoy community, good beer, and delicious food from Rockwell's Neighborhood Grill!

A special thanks to our friends at Peterson Pulaski Business & Industrial Council for helping us engage the community of business partners to host food drives in their offices as well.

📣 The Friendship Center will be closed on Monday, September 2 for Labor Day.
If you need food assistance, utilize the Greater Chicago Food Depository's Find Food tool >>> https://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/find-food/

The Friendship Center estará cerrado el 2 de septimbre para Día de Trabajo.
Si necesita asistencia alimentaria, utilice la herramienta "Comida" de Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Tomorrow's the day! Join us at Alarmist Brewing & Taproom for a community food drive hosted by Alarmist and Peterson Pulaski Business & Industrial Council on August 28 from 5-9pm. Donating will earn you a free beer! Delicious food from Rockwell's Neighborhood Grill will be available for purchase.

You can make a difference by simply donating five pantry items or $5 to help Restock the Shelves. >>> bit.ly/restockTFC

Thanks to this stellar group from DePaul University Law who helped prepare the pantry by stocking shelves and organizing food rescue ahead of a busy Thursday distribution.

Group volunteers bring a smile to our faces!

Thank you to our partners at Lincoln Square Animal Hospital for this generous donation to the Friendship Pet Food Pantry! We're so grateful for your ongoing support and for helping us provide additional items beyond pet food to our families.

Join us as a community event volunteer! We are often at neighborhood farmer's markets, university fairs, and other community organizations around town and would love your help sharing about The Friendship Center with our neighbors.

Current volunteers can sign up through our volunteer portal. If you've never volunteered before please make an account. Sign up today for the upcoming Thursday afternoon Lincoln Square Farmers Markets this fall! >> https://bit.ly/3OYd8El

In honor of National Senior Citizens Day, we want to recognize all the wonderful seasoned citizens who make up the fabric of our neighborhoods. Our elderly neighbors often deal with food insecurity more than you may realize.

We commonly see the elderly, families, and migrants utilizing our services the most at The Friendship Center. Your ongoing commitment through volunteering and donating helps us meet their needs. You can give today to help restock the shelves after a busy summer >> bit.ly/restockTFC

Thank you, Eric, Skylar, and Scott from Deloitte who helped to sort pet food donations and move cat litter to help support Friendship Pet Food Pantry the other week!

We love hosting group volunteers from businesses and organizations. As we get closer to the end of 2024, we are getting more requests. If your team is interested in serving please reach out to Ali at [email protected] -- we can accommodate groups up to 10-12 volunteers.

Happy National Nonprofit Day! We are so grateful to serve our community by fostering hope and dignity on Chicago's NW side through access to food and vital resources.

Thank you to our incredible volunteers, donors, staff and Board who make our mission possible.

Help families in our community prepare for back to school by ensuring their pantries are full of nutritious food. You can make a difference by simply donating five pantry items or $5 to help Restock the Shelves. >>> bit.ly/restockTFC

Join us at Alarmist Brewing & Taproom for a community food drive hosted by Alarmist and Peterson Pulaski Business & Industrial Council on August 28 from 5-9pm. Donating will earn you a free beer!

One of our student volunteers, Hannah was inspired by her three wonderful cats (Toby, Billie, and Tuxi) to run a lemonade stand this past weekend to help raise funds for the Friendship Pet Food Pantry. Lemonade and treats were free but patrons were encouraged to donate. Hannah helped donate much-needed cat scratchers and cat flea collars with the funds she raised.
Thanks, so much, Hannah!

We're grateful to receive support from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois and Crust Fund Pizza to help provide 28,000 meals to our neighbors facing hunger. We'll keep fighting food insecurity one pizza at a time.

Our friend Michaela Crotty is hosting her Yoga class at Dovetail Brewery on Wednesday, August 14 at 6pm. A suggested donation of $10 will help provide 80 meals to our neighbors facing hunger.

When neighbors utilize The Friendship Center's food pantry or home delivery program, they receive an average of $160 worth of free groceries each visit. This allows our neighbors facing food insecurity to redirect their funds towards healthcare, transportation, utilities, childcare, and beyond.

Read more about our grocery store price comparison on the blog >> https://bit.ly/4di7RlZ

Through our partnership with Trellus, Zekariya joined our team for 12 weeks through their workforce development program. He recently completed his last day with us and he shared, "I'm so grateful for the amazing team I have. Thank you again for always being there for me, your support means the world."

We are so grateful for Zekariya's time with us. He is hardworking, friendly, helpful, and eager to share ideas to help make the pantry better. Thank you, Zekariya!

We hope to help more eligible candidates with workforce development in the future alongside Trellus.

Our hot meal program has been growing! In June and July 2024, we had an average of over 200 meals per week go out on Thursday evenings. The previous five weeks have had 210+ meals go out! In 2024 we have seen an 11% increase compared to the same time in 2023.

Thank you to our incredible volunteers and chefs from The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group who make our weekly hot meal possible.

🗣 ONE WEEK UNTIL END HUNGER GAMES RAFFLES OPEN!
We're screaming because these raffle baskets are that good! Over three dozen local and national brands have partnered with us to help end hunger and to bring you incredible prizes and experiences.

You'll have the most fun enjoying the raffle with us at the event, but we know not everyone can make it there. You can purchase raffle tickets from 9AM, August 7 - 5:45PM, August 11. Tickets will be available at https://event.gives/ehg2024

$15 | 1 ticket
$40 | 3 tickets
$65 | 5 tickets
Bundled tickets have to be purchased for the same basket.

If participating virtually, you will need to pick up your winning basket from The Friendship Center.

Happy International Friendship Day! We’re grateful for the kind community of volunteers, staff, neighbors, and donors who make up The Friendship Center. Our goal is to foster hope and dignity at the pantry and in the community with our neighbors who are facing food insecurity.

Happy International Friendship Day! We're grateful for the kind community of volunteers, staff, neighbors, and donors who make up The Friendship Center. Our goal is to foster hope and dignity at the pantry and in the community with our neighbors who are facing food insecurity.

The Friendship Center will be at our Community Tent this Wednesday July 31 4900 N. Damen 4-8pm! Please stop by and Donate to this amazing organization that does so much for people!

Ravenswood Community Farmers Market ravenswoodcommunityfarmersmarket.com

Our neighbors at Lawrence Hall host an amazing youth program called Peace Keeps. Ten teen volunteers jumped in last week and helped with our weekly delivery, cleaned carrots, sorted food rescue, and more! Thank you for your hard work!

Reach out to us about group volunteer opportunities for groups up to 12 people at [email protected]

Look at this bountiful 185 lbs of fresh produce we received from our friends at Jacobson Family Farms and Global Garden Refugee Training Farm at last week's Lincoln Square Farmers Market! We are so grateful for the ongoing generosity of our community farmers helping our neighbors get access to delicious and nutritious produce.

If you would like to donate fresh produce or pantry items, please stop by our booth at the Lincoln Square Farmer's Market on August 1 from 3-7pm.

End Hunger Games is made possible by incredible neighborhood businesses passionate about alleviating hunger in our community. Thank you Metropolitan Capital, Endeavor Health, and G & G Law, LLC for partnering as Silver Sponsors. Thank you J. Blanton Plumbing, Mark Mackey State Farm Agent, Half Acre Beer Company, and Brush Park Gymnasium for supporting as Bronze Sponsors.

End Hunger Games is just a few weeks away and we hope to see you there! Grab a ticket at https://event.gives/ehg2024 you don't want to miss this amazing event.