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Hello Volunteers! Happy March!
What a month it's been at Nourishing Hope. From events celebrating our service, to Spanish classes, to finding moments of connection while volunteering — March has been a wonderful month filled with laughter, purpose, and joy.
It's been a busy month for all of us, and we couldn't be more grateful for the time, energy, and kindness you bring to Nourishing Hope, even when you have a long to-do list.
Thank you for being part of our community, and we look forward to spending time with you next month during National Volunteer Month!
P.S. — 🤫 we'll be premiering new, limited-edition merchandise for our 55th birthday coming up on April 10. You're the first to hear about it, stay tuned for details in your inbox and on our social media channels!
| | VOLUNTEER ANNOUNCEMENTS & UPDATES | |
NEW SHIFT STARTING ON MAY 15:
Online Market Distribution at El Mercadito
| Come help clients pick up their orders at El Mercadito! Starting Thursday, May 15, Nourishing Hope will be introducing an Online Market Distribution at El Mercadito (3533 W North Ave.) shift on the third Thursday of each month from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. | | | HOST A HYGIENE ITEMS DRIVE FOR NOURISHING HOPE | |
The giving season may be behind us, but our clients are still in great need of hygiene items. You can find the list of currently most needed items here and drop your donation off at the Hub or HQ.
| | | CELEBRATING SERVICE BREAKFAST | |
On March 6, we hosted for the first time a Celebrating Service Breakfast to express our gratitude to the amazing community partners who support our mission. It was a wonderful opportunity to share updates about our organization, share knowledge, and celebrate the work we've done together.
The event featured a Panel Q&A with Cicely Tatum-Johnson, our Director of Volunteer Engagement, and Rosie Drumgoole, CEO of Chicago Cares, where they discussed the importance of perseverance through volunteering in the city of Chicago. We are so grateful for the continued support of our community and look forward to the great things we will accomplish together!
| | | SPANISH 101 CLASS FOR VOLUNTEERS: A SUCCESSFUL LEARNING EXPERIENCE! | |
On Tuesday, March 25, we hosted an in-person Spanish class for our dedicated volunteers, and it was a success! The session was filled with engaging activities and valuable language skills aimed at helping volunteers better connect with the community.
Everyone participated enthusiastically, learning key phrases, vocabulary, and practical conversational skills. It was a fun and productive way to improve our ability to communicate and serve together. Stay tuned for the next classes we offer!
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GET YOUR DISCOUNTED TICKETS FOR
THE END HUNGER SOCIAL!
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🎉 The End Hunger Social
📆 Thursday, May 8, 6 – 9 p.m.
📍 Bandit, 841 W Randolph St.
✅ Delicious food, open bar, wine pull, silent auction, dancing, and most importantly — supporting Nourishing Hope's programs!
🌟 Hosted by Nourishing Hope's Young Leaders Board
We expect this event to draw more than 150 networking professionals. We're raising $75,000 toward our mission of Nourishing Hope through food, mental health, and social services so that all of our neighbors can thrive. See you at the party!
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VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH
April is Volunteer Appreciation Month. We'd love to shout out your work and celebrate you! If you would like to share some fun photos from your volunteer shifts, please submit them HERE.
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HOME DELIVERY DISTRIBUTION @ 1440 S. INDIANA Ave.
Come distribute groceries at a high-rise senior building in the South Loop! Our upcoming shifts will take place on April 16 and April 23, 2025, from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. This shift will require some heavy lifting.
Parking is available at 1510 S. Indiana Ave.
| | | EXPAND YOUR IMPACT – VOLUNTEER AT EL MERCADITO! | |
Sign up for a shift at El Mercadito and help us meet the growing needs of our neighbors.
Tasks include distributing food, stocking shelves, unloading deliveries, and sorting donations.
We offer two volunteer shifts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday:
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El Mercadito Morning Set Up: 9:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
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El Mercadito Distribution: 11:30 a.m - 3:30 p.m.
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HOME DELIVERY SOUTH & WEST PREP AND PACKING
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Starting on Friday, April 11, we’re introducing Home Delivery South & West Prep and Home Delivery South & West Packing volunteer shifts at HQ (1716 W. Hubbard St.).
Join us for:
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Home Delivery South & West Prep: every 1st, 3rd, and 4th Tuesday of the month & every 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Friday of the month, 2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
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Home Delivery South & West Packing: every 1st, 3rd, and 4th Wednesday of the month & every 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Saturday of the month, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.
| | | ONLINE MARKET HEAVY LIFTING | |
Skip the gym and help prepare for our Online Market Distribution at the Hub on Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.!
Part of the shift will involve working in the cooler/freezer.
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Help us load and unload vans, build and wrap pallets and shelve boxes, move pallets around using pallet jacks, and keep the warehouse running.
Most boxes weigh 50 lbs or less.
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We want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the volunteers who braved the cold weather to help us during the Chiditarod event. Thanks for your dedication and hard work! We received the following in-kind and monetary donations.
Total In-Kind Donations:
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8,233 pounds of donated goods
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544 pounds of hygiene items
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7,689 pounds of food items
Total Monetary Donations: $4,648
This is the equivalent of providing 20,800 meals to our neighbors in need! Thank you!
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ANSHE EMET / BERNARD ZELL 6TH GRADERS
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We are so grateful for our yearly visit from the students at Bernard Zell! At the start of each school year, we attend their class to talk about food insecurity and its effects on community members. They spend the school year continuing to learn while also gathering food and hygiene supplies to donate to our Sheridan Market!
We appreciate their eagerness to learn and support our mission of supporting other Chicagoans. This year, the students donated 658 pounds of food and hygiene items!
| | | ANNOUNCING THE WINNER OF OUR #NOURISHINGGEOGRAPHIC COMPETITION! | |
In our January 2024 bulletin, we launched the #NourishingGeographic Competition, inviting volunteers to snap photos of themselves wearing their Nourishing Hope swag (t-shirt, hat, or sweatshirt) during their world travels. We had three fun categories to judge:
- Furthest Distance Traveled
- Largest Group Wearing Nourishing Hope Gear
- Most Epic Photo
We are thrilled to announce that the winner of this competition is Jess M.! We are so thankful that you take our name and mission with you all over the world, including Sri Lanka and Austria!
We've provided additional Nourishing Hope merch to accompany Jess on her future travels. :) Thank you, Jess, and to everyone who participated!
Want to try to de-throne Jess this year? Submit your travel photos to the 2025 #NourishingGeographic Competition here!
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STAFF SPOTLIGHT — Sean Elliott, Clinical Therapist
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Sean Elliott is a lifelong resident of the Chicago area, and received his Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 2015. Since then, Sean has worked in a variety of settings, from community art projects with college-aged young adults to case management with senior citizens and refugees.
Since Sean joined the Nourishing Hope team as a Clinical Therapist in September 2024, Sean has really enjoyed the positivity and support from everyone on the team. Outside of work, Sean enjoys reading, cooking and spending time with his three dogs.
| | | VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT — SHARON O. | |
This month, we’re featuring Sharon O., a regular El Mercadito volunteer.
Thank you for all you do to support our mission, Sharon!
From Sharon O.:
My first introduction to El Mercadito and Nourishing Hope was through volunteer activities with my Rotary Club in 2021 or 2022. When I found Nourishing Hope, I found a place to volunteer as an individual on my schedule. I have worked at all four locations, which gave me an understanding of the entire process of serving families in need.
I gravitated towards El Mercadito because they are most in need of support. I enjoy the fact that it is smaller, and volunteers get the opportunity to do all the tasks. And – it is a wonderful group of people with which to work! We have fun, and you can see that our clients genuinely appreciate us.
My Spanish is truly lacking – I use a lot of hand motions – but the customers are so pleasant and willing to help me learn. My activities outside of volunteering include traveling the world, walking, cycling, ushering in the local theaters and Rotary, and helping my granddaughter with her high school math.
Sharon, thank you for all your support!
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Shoutout to heavy-lifter Mike S. He is extremely reliable and dedicated, often stays over time in order to complete any project he is working on, and is an excellent resource for new volunteers.
Special thanks to the Online Market volunteers Sam M., Sam C., Lauren, Lexie, and Shea for helping set up for a volunteer group on Saturday, Feb. 22. Special shout out to Shea for creating the awesome welcome sign.
Shoutout to Wayne O. for jumping in to help out with Home Delivery North Packing AND doing home deliveries on the same day!
Shoutout to JC and Marlene. Their kindness, dedication, and constant positivity make even the busiest day feel lighter. No matter what’s going on they show up with a smile, a helping hand and a warmth that’s truly contagious.
A quote from a member of our staff, "Seeing JC at The Hub and Marlene at Sheridan is always a good reminder of the good in people, and the impact that small acts of kindness can have."
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Alan A.
Claire A.
Helen A.
Alexis B.
Chava B.
Scott B.
Ellen B.
Sydney B.
Theresa B.
Justin B.
Marlene B.
Jay B.
Ezra C.
Cedric C.
Mindy C.
Helen C.
Eileen C.
Kevin C.
Nan C.
James C.
James C.
Sean D.
Helena D.
Megan D.
Michael F.
Marcy F.
Lauren F.
Catherine F.
Amy F.
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Abby G.
Susan G.
Zahari G.
Mary G.
Kaitlyn H.
Ann H.
Lura H.
Kristina J.
Melissa J.
Carrie J.
Agnes K.
Phillip K.
Lynn K.
Osman K.
Joseph K.
Brian K.
Anja L.
Kandise L.
Kristian L.
Linda L.
Heddy L.
Tim L.
Mario L.
Amanda M.
Stephen M.
Debbie M.
Sheila M.
Mario M.
Jane M.
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Kim M.
Laura M.
Noah M.
Sam M.
Janaya M.
Irsenia N.
Kofi O.
Wayne O.
Paige O.
Susan P.
Dennis P.
Ray P.
Robin P.
Saale P.
Dave P.
Javier P.
Joseph R.
Mary R.
David S.
Gea S.
James S.
Kathleen S.
Charle S.
Anna S.
Declan S.
Marie S.
Thomas T.
Madilyne W.
Ariana W.
Amy W.
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