The event was a first-ever collaboration with the nonprofit My Block, My Hood, My City and featured a guest appearance from Mayor Lori Lightfoot. The mayor urged the youth to seek out opportunities to help.
“We need to also make sure that we continue to focus on one of the most important lessons from Dr. King — that we have to reach out to those in need — that’s what the Greater Chicago Food Depository does every single day, reaching out to people in our city with some of the most basic things that we have to provide,” Lightfoot said.
The MLK Day of Service was also a reflection of the Food Depository’s increased commitment to putting racial equity at the forefront of everything we do. Tragically, the coronavirus pandemic laid bare racial disparities that have existed for years, as Black and Brown communities have been disproportionately affected by the combination of COVID-19 and food insecurity.
The Food Depository swiftly moved to expand food access in those communities by supporting existing partners with emergency grants and by forming new partnerships through pop-up food distributions.
“There can be no food justice unless there’s racial justice.”
Nicole Robinson, vice president of community impact
In fiscal year 2020, the Food Depository announced more than $2.3 million in emergency grants; most of that funding was invested in low-income communities of color.
The Food Depository is determined to help change the story of structural racism in our community. We collect and analyze data to identify inequities in food access, and we use that information to deliver more food and resources where they’re most needed. This fiscal year, Food Depository staff participated in racial equity training, which is ongoing. As an organization, we are committed to doing more business with local minority- and women-owned vendors. We’ve also incorporated racial equity into our policy agenda.
At the Food Depository, we stand for food and racial justice.
