News
New Foundations Program Helps Connect People with Services They Need to Thrive
In early 2022, we asked several of our partners who run community meals if they would offer their guests...
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Calling All Volunteers!
You CAN make a positive difference in the lives of Chicagoans facing homelessness and hunger. Learn more about volunteer opportunities with CHI.
“I Have a Name”
This powerful documentary film gives voice to Chicagoans experiencing homelessness while capturing the work of the Chicago Help Initiative and its partners. Email dfraser@chicagohelpinitiative.org for ways to view the documentary. Watch the trailer.
We provide nutritious meals and support for people experiencing hunger and homelessness in Chicago.
Feeding Hope
Please join us in our efforts to alleviate hunger and homelessness in Chicago!
CHI is truly a community organization – we have always been volunteer rich while being staff lean. We have been successful not just because we reflect our community, but because we are the community.
In 2023, we need more companies, employee groups, and restaurants to sponsor and serve our weekly meals. Learn more.
We also need volunteers! To help serve meals, make bag meals, and pick up meals. To become tutors in our adult learning program, and mentors in our jobs club and art group. To assist our guests with housing and healthcare enrollment, transit passes, and more.
If you’ve thought about volunteering – once a week, once a month, whatever works for you – now would be a great time to do it!
Contact us to let us know how you’d like to help.
We’re hiring! CHI is seeking a Program Manager for our New Foundations Program.
Download the job description.
What CHI accomplished in 2022
*We reopened our weekly Wednesday meals to in-person, sit-down service in the dining room at Catholic Charities, 721 N. Lasalle St.
*We restarted our book club, short stories workshop, computer club, and knitting group and launched a new theater workshop in partnership with Lookingglass Theatre.
*We launched our New Foundations program to enable other organizations in the city to offer the kind of social services assistance we provide at our weekly meals and help people experiencing homelessness to access the resources they need to move forward.
*Through our New Kitchens initiative, we’ve expanded the pool of restaurants and caterers we partner with, to include South Side and West Side start-ups that are also working in their neighborhoods to provide jobs.
*We established the CHI Community Garden in the Spring to provide garden plots to our guests who want to grow their own food, and encourage lasting relationships with the land and each other.
