David Flores, 57, began volunteering at the Greater Chicago Food Depository two years ago, shortly after retiring from more than 20 years of service with the Chicago Fire Department. As a veteran who grew up in a family that faced some hard times, Flores knew the importance of having access to nutritious food. His wife and son had volunteered with us before, but it wasn’t until retirement that he found time to give back himself.
“It means a lot to now be able to do something like this and know that I’m helping others who might be in the position I was in when I was younger,” said Flores. “There’s so much to do at the Food Depository, and I feel like I’m still learning every day.”
Flores primarily helps with our hydroponics pilot program and in our repack sessions, where most of our volunteers work to repack bulk food items—such as grains, produce and canned goods—into individual-sized portions that can be easily distributed to families in need. Flores’ dedication to ending hunger keeps him involved week after week.
“There’s so much to do as a volunteer at the Food Depository. I feel like I’m still learning every day, and I want to continue to help where I’m needed.”
David Flores, Food Depository volunteer
Volunteers like Flores are essential to furthering the Food Depository’s mission to end hunger. In fiscal year 2024, more than 25,000 volunteers contributed nearly 100,000 hours of service, repacking over 7 million pounds of food, which was swiftly distributed to communities throughout Chicago and Cook County. These impressive numbers represent families who now have food on their tables, ensuring that they have the nourishment they need to thrive.
In addition to individuals like Flores, the Food Depository relies on the invaluable support of corporate and organizational volunteer groups. This Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, hundreds of volunteers from across Chicago made their way to the Food Depository in below-zero-degree weather to honor the legacy of Dr. King by volunteering to help neighbors experiencing food insecurity.
Volunteers from Chicago-based organizations such as Cubs Charities, the Obama Foundation and the Magnificent Mile Chapter of Jack and Jill of America came together to repackage apples and pinto beans. These were delivered in the following days to partner food pantries, soup kitchens and other meal programs to be distributed to families and individuals in need.
Eleven-year-old Makenzie Ward from the Magnificent Mile Chapter of Jack and Jill of America expressed her excitement: “It’s great that a lot of people care about Martin Luther King and the justice and peace that he gave the world. I feel really good that we’re giving back to the community in his honor.”
Nearly 300 volunteers participated in the MLK, Jr. Day of Service event, packing 36,792 pounds of food—equivalent to 30,660 meals—that were delivered to partner pantries and meal programs across Chicago and Cook County.
Corporate groups also invested significant time to support the mission to end hunger. For example, JP Morgan Chase, JLL and Northern Trust each contributed more than 700 volunteer hours this fiscal year. The Food Depository is immensely grateful to all our volunteers, whose dedication ensures that food is ready to be sent out to communities in need every day.
In addition to volunteering, corporate groups and individuals provided vital support to ensure neighbors experiencing food insecurity had access to healthy food. Whether through one-time donations, monthly support, donor-advised funds, IRAs or stock, these contributions enabled us to provide food for our neighbors during an unprecedented time of need. We saw more households seeking help from our partner network each month than ever before, and thanks to our generous donors, we were able to meet that demand.
Many corporations stepped up to help, including those that contributed during the 36th Annual Chicago Commercial Real Estate Awards. On May 1, about 1,600 of Chicago’s top real estate professionals gathered at The Salt Shed, raising over $1.1 million to support the Food Depository’s mission.
“The steadfast support of our friends in the commercial real estate industry has ensured that hundreds of thousands of our neighbors in Chicago and Cook County have access to the nutritious food they need,” said Kate Maehr, Food Depository Executive Director and CEO. “This support is critical as many of our neighbors continue working to regain financial stability after the challenges of the past few years.”
The generous donations from our corporate and individual supporters played a crucial role in bringing to life various programs and initiatives this fiscal year, including purchasing meals from community-based vendors for neighbors at elevated risk of hunger, procuring fresh produce from hyperlocal farmers and completing our new prepared meal center. We are deeply grateful to all who made this work possible. Volunteers and donors play an essential role in our mission to end hunger.
