Join Benny’s Chop House in the fight against hunger

Join Benny’s Chop House in the fight against hunger as part of the Second Annual “86 Hunger” campaign.

During September 2015, Hunger Action Month, enjoy our S’Mores Cheesecake, and 10% of sales will
be donated to the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

The S’mores Cheesecake is the perfect way to end your evening at Benny’s Chop House!

Lunch and dinner, 11:30 a.m. until 11:30 p.m.

444 North Wabash 312-626-2444
www.bennyschophouse.com

Music For Food Concert On April 12 To Benefit South Loop Food Pantry

CHICAGO – On Sunday, April 12 at 5:00 p.m., a group of acclaimed young musicians from the Chicago area will present a concert at the PianoForte Foundation, 1335 S. Michigan Ave. in Chicago to benefit the South Loop Community Church Food Pantry.

The Chicago musicians are presenting the concert under the auspices of Music for Food, a musician-led initiative for hunger relief. Mira Luxion, the organizer and one of the participating artists, comments: “I am thrilled to be presenting this Music for Food concert, hopefully the first of a lasting series in Chicago. From the moment I first heard of Music for Food, I was moved by its mission. As musicians, we are given the capacity to touch people in tangible as well as intangible ways. The performers are dear friends and colleagues and it is truly inspiring to be working with them towards this mission.”

The program offers works by Austrian composers Mozart, Schubert, and the lesser-known Carl Frühling:

PROGRAM
Mozart: Duo for Violin and Viola in G Major, K.423
Lauren Lai, violin
Kim Uwate, viola

Mozart: Andante from Sonata No. 9 in D Major, K.311
Eugenia Jeong, piano

Schubert: Selection of Lieder
Anne Slovin, soprano
Eugenia Jeong, piano

(Intermission)

Carl Frühling: Clarinet Trio in A Minor, Op. 40
Steven Gooden, clarinet
Mira Luxion, cello
Andy Costello, piano

TICKETS AND QUESTIONS
Those attending are asked to bring a monetary donation (cash or check made out to Music for
Food) or non-perishable food items. Questions about the concert may be directed to Mira Luxion:
miracello@gmail.com, or 312-513-6422.

Images from the client BBQ

On September 27, 2014, the South Loop Community Church Food Pantry held a BBQ for clients. The weather was perfect and we had a great turnout. The weekend was one of the nicest this season, but we’re bracing ourselves for another cold Chicago winter.

The food pantry is open every Saturday from 9 - 11 a.m. The food pantry serves residents of Cook County. Clients may visit the food pantry every Saturday. Fresh produce is distributed the first three Saturdays of every month. All food is available at not charge. Clothes are distributed, during food pantry hours, the second and third Saturdays of every month. We have clothes and accessories for men, women, and children and are available free of charge.

For more information on the food pantry, click on the about tab at the top of the page.

Client BBQ this Saturday September 27, 2014

The South Loop Community Church Food Pantry, 1347 S. State St., will host a BBQ for food pantry clients, Saturday September 27 from 12 to 2 p.m. There is not cost to attend.

The menu will consist of beef and turkey hot dogs, chips, cake, lemonade and iced tea.

The food pantry will be open for its normal food distribution (9 to 11 a.m.) on the 27th.

We will be open Saturday, August 30, 2014

We will have normal food distribution on August 30.

The South Loop Community Church Food Pantry, 1347 S. State St. will be open Saturday, August 30, 2014 (Labor Day Weekend) for regular food distribution. Distribution hours are 9 - 11 a.m.

The food pantry operates every Saturday. Fresh produce is available the first, second, and third Saturdays of every month. Clothes are available the second and third Saturdays of the month during food distribution. If you have any questions regarding our hours of operation or would like to volunteer, please e-mail us at southloopcommunitychurch@gmail.com, or call the church at 312.566.9076.

South Loop Pantry volunteer opportunities meeting August 20, 2014

South Loop Community Church Food Pantry, 1347 S. State St., is looking for volunteers to help with their food pantry and clothes closet ministries. The church will be holding a brief introduction meeting on volunteer opportunities, Wednesday August 20, 2014 at 7:15 p.m.

The food pantry serves between 85 and 100 walk-ins every week.

In operation for over two years, the food pantry serves between 85 and 100 walk-ins every week. If you’re looking for a way to serve or give back to your community, volunteering at the food pantry might be for you. The food pantry needs volunteers on Saturday mornings, when food distribution takes place, as well as during the week to help with accepting food deliveries and restocking shelves.

The food pantry offers free produce three times a month.

Food distribution is every Saturday, 9-11 a.m. Three times a month, the pantry also offers fresh produce. The clothes closet distributes clothes and accessories for men, women, and children twice a month. The clothes closet operates the second and third Saturdays of every month during the food distribution. After food pantry clients get their food, they can look at clothing.

Click here to download this flyer.

The food pantry has partnered with local businesses, like Overflow Coffee Bar, Marianos, Pret A Manger, and Urban Re-Mix, and community organizations like Greater South Loop Association (GSLA). The GSLA contributed $1000 to the help the pantry buy turkeys last year for Thanksgiving baskets.

For more information, visit the church’s Web site or contact them via e-mail at southloopcommunitychurch@gmail.com or call the church office at 312.566.9076.

For a look at how the food pantry operates, check out this post from local South Loop blogger Bonnie McGrath.

If you would like to promote this volunteer event in your building or office, click here to download flyer.


Full disclosure: The writer of this blog is a regular volunteer at the South Loop Community Church Food Pantry. It’s been a rewarding experience serving folks in need from our neighborhood.

Food, Clothes, and Produce this Saturday

Volunteers help prepare grocery bags
for distribution.

On Saturday, March 15, 2014, the SLCC Food Pantry will be distributing food and produce. We will also be distributing clothes and accessories for men, women, and children via the Clothes Ministry. Clothes are distributed the 2nd and 3rd Saturday of each month.

Produce is distributed on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Saturdays of every month. We never know exactly what type of produce we will have in advance, but we get is fresh and nutritious. We generally get a mix of fruits and vegetables, including carrots, apples, onions, pears, lettuce, and oranges. Clients can help themselves to as much produce as they can carry. Any produce left over is picked up by Pacific Garden Mission.

Non-perishable food items are pre-packed in grocery bags. Clients pick up a bag and are then given the protein available that particular week. We often have sausage, beef patties, and deli meat for distribution. Most clients will also receive day-old bread products from Mariano’s supermarket. Many will receive fresh sandwiches or salads from Pret-A-Manger as well.

Leftover produce is donated to Pacific Garden Mission.

We have a limited supply of toiletry items for clients with special needs or requests.

If you have any questions regarding the food pantry or would like to volunteer, please call 312.566.9076 or e-mail the church at southloopcommunitychurch@gmail.com

SLCC Food Pantry is a member agent of the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Clothes distribution this Saturday November 9 at SLCC Food Pantry

The second and third Saturdays of the month, along with food distribution, we also offer clothes for those who need them. We have men’s women’s and children’s clothes and accessories, including hats, belts, and shoes.

We offer clothes and accessories for men, women, and children twice a month.

Donate your clothes
If you have clothes that you are no longer wearing, but that are in good shape, please consider donating them. For information on how to donate clothing, please click on the “Clothes Ministry” tab above.

Thank you, volunteers!

Volunteers from BP- NAGP
At SLCC Food Pantry, we are fortunate to have so many people from the community, churches, and businesses volunteer. These volunteers help with food distribution, pack grocery bags, organize and clean the pantry room, you name it; they get put to work. And it’s a great help to us; we couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers. We had some wonderful volunteers from BP-NAGP. Thanks, guys! It was great having you; hope you can volunteer again soon.

Volunteers from BP-NAGP

This past Saturday (October 19), we had 93 walk-ins. Over 100 individuals benefited from good, nourishing food, including fresh produce. The food pantry offers fresh produce on the first, second, and third Saturdays of the month. Saturday we had fresh salad, red cabbage, whole carrots, and cherry tomatoes. The next date for fresh produce is November 2, 2013.

Clothes twice a month
Along with fresh food distribution every Saturday, we offer free clothing for men, women, and children on the second and third Saturdays. If you have some gently used clothing that you’re not wearing anymore—including winter coats—please consider donating them. For more information on what and how to donate, click here.

Cherry tomatoes distributed on Saturday

Thanksgiving turkey distribution November 23, 2013
Thanks to a generous donation from the Greater South Loop Association, we will be distributing turkeys for Thanksgiving on Saturday, November 23, 2013 during normal food distribution hours, 9-11 a.m.

Volunteers needed
We’re always in need of volunteers every Saturday and during the week. Even though distribution takes place only once a week, the work of the food pantry is continuous throughout the week. The pantry itself needs to be stocked, boxes need to be broken down, freezers and refrigerators need to be cleaned out, and so on. If you’d like to volunteer, please contact food pantry coordinator, Rosa Ellis at ellislaine@sbcglobal.net.

Food, Clothes, and More Food!

The South Loop Community Church Food Pantry is now offering clients clothes twice a month during food distribution on Saturdays 9 – 11 a.m. In addition to the regular food distribution, the pantry will be offering fresh produce, fruits and vegetables, three times a month. Fresh produce will be offered on the first, second, and third Saturdays along with our regular food distribution.

Fresh produce will be distributed the first, second, and third Saturdays of the month.

As part of new program with the Greater Chicago Food Depository, the pantry will be distributing fruits and vegetables in the south parking lot of South Loop Community Church. The first distribution took place September 7, 2013. The produce included fresh pineapples, peaches, apples, green peppers, cucumbers, and bananas. There was plenty for everyone; clients were encouraged to take as much as they could carry.

Clothes distribution is on the second and third Saturdays of the month.

This Saturday, September 14, 2013 will be the first of our twice-a-month clothes distribution. We have clothes and accessories for men, women, and children.

We offer accessories for men, women, and children.

Food Pantry Update

Twice a month the SLCC Food Pantry
distributes clothes for free during food distribution.

The SLCC Food Pantry is going strong. Since March 2012, we have been providing 100 families and individuals, on average, with good, nutritious food every week.

Now distributing clothes
A few months ago, we started distributing clothes, along with our food distribution on the second and third Saturdays of the month. The response to the clothes has been very positive. We have clothes and accessories for men, women, and children. And like the food, they are given away free of charge.

Neighborhood support
We continue to receive support from the local South Loop community. Donations dropped off at Overflow Coffee Bar, continue to amaze us. Almost every week, there are donations of food and health and beauty items. We are often asked for items like toothpaste, toothbrushes, and deodorant, so these donations are greatly appreciated. Overflow Coffee Bar has been very gracious. They’ve also been generous to us with their own resources, making monetary donations on several occasions.

Get ready for the Bash on Wabash
Once again, Greater South Loop Association will be giving us a portion of the gate donation at the annual Bash on Wabash street festival. Last year, we received a donation of $500 which enabled us to buy turkeys and hams for Thanksgiving distribution last year. This year’s Bash is August 24 and 25. The Bash will have live music, food, as well as an area for kids. For more information on the Bash, please visit the GSLA or the Bash on Wabash Web sites.

The SLCC Food Pantry is open every Saturday from 9 a.m to 11 a.m.

For information on how you can donate to and/or volunteer at SLCC Food Pantry, please click on the “Donation and Volunteer Opportunities” tab at the top of the page. 

Buddy, can you spare a van?

March marks one year since the South Loop Community Church started distributing food to those in need, on a weekly basis. We have been averaging between 55-60 walk-ins every Saturday. We also deliver food to another 30 people every week, who aren’t able to come to the pantry in person, due to physical disabilities.

The SLCC Food Pantry is a member agent of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, which enables us to purchase food at discounted and reduced prices. The GCFD also offers member agents free produce and other food stuffs on occasion. But we’ve had to turn down these free offers because we don’t have enough room in our vehicles. Currently, we pick up our food orders (twice a month) with volunteers’ cars. If we had the use of a van for these twice-a-month pick-ups, we could offer those in need more nourishing food every week.

The SLCC Food Pantry serves up to 100 people  each week.
Help us keep these shelves stocked.

Not everyone can physically volunteer in the food pantry—even though we distribute food once-a-week, it’s a five-day-a-week job—but perhaps you are willing and able to volunteer yourself and your van twice a month.

If you think you could help us out or would like more information about the SLCC Food Pantry and other volunteer opportunities, please call the South Loop Community Church office at 312.566.9076 during weekday business hours.

“Good Neighbors”: Overflow Coffee Bar

Do you love the South Loop? T-shirts on
sale at Overflow Coffee Bar

Overflow Coffee Bar at 1550 S. State St. has been a supporter of the SLCC Food Pantry from the very beginning. They were the first establishment that agreed to put a food drop-off basket in their store. Owners Amanda and Brandon Neely and their customers have been very faithful in depositing nonperishable food items in that basket, every week, often to overflowing (hmm, that reminds me of a coffee shop in town).  


Business with a mission
Overflow’s mission is to change the world “one cup at a time” and they’re living out that mission on a daily basis. We can’t thank them and their customers enough for their generosity and good spirit towards us. When you’re in the neighborhood, stop into Overflow for a cup of coffee, a sandwich, pastry, t-shirt, and thank them for their support. We couldn’t do what we do without our “good neighbors.”

2012 Hunger Walk

The Greater Chicago Food Depository 27th Annual Hunger Walk is June 23 at Soldier Field. Registration is 7 a.m. Step-off at 8:30 a.m. The walk is the major fund raising event for the Depository. Member food pantries and soup kitchens will be participating in the walk and South Loop Community Church Food Pantry will be at part of this exciting event.

“Do It For Chicago”
The Hunger Walk is an annual 5K (3.1 miles) event to raise funds and awareness for the Food Depository’s work in Cook County and network of 650 agencies (food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters). The Food Depository covers the overhead expenses for the event so all funds raised can be divided among the agencies to help supplement their budgets or, in some cases, serve as their entire annual budget. This is the largest one-day anti-hunger event in Chicago that brings together all of Cook County.

Please join our team!
Feel free to make a donation to our team by clicking our Hunger Walk Team page, or consider making one to the event as a whole. Either way, we hope we can count on your support. The SLCC Food Pantry, and the Food Depository and its network, truly appreciate your support.

Partner Profile: Overflow Coffee Bar

Check out the plans Overflow Coffee Bar, one of our pantry partners, has. Their motto is “changing the world, one cup at a time.” They’re moving one step closer to their mission. Check out the video to learn more.

Please support Overflow Coffee Bar as they support us. They’ve allowed SLCC Food Pantry to put a nonperishable food donation basket in their store. Their generous customers have donated food items every week that have helped those in need. When you order a cup of coffee (or tea) at Overflow, you can feel good about your purchase.

If you would like to donate items to the food pantry, please stop by Overflow Coffee Bar at 1550 S. State St.

Bread, Chickens, and Crackerjack

Food Pantry volunteers help a guest (second from right)
with some food parcels

This Saturday (March 31, 2012) the SLCC Food Pantry had volunteers passing out food to residents of Chicago’s South Loop neighborhood. Once again, we had a generous donation of bread from Panera, via the 2nd Ward Alderman’s office. We also had whole frozen chickens and thanks to another donation, we even had Crackerjack to distribute to those who wanted it.

The SLCC Food Pantry is open every Saturday 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

Happy Anniversay Overflow Coffee Bar
Boy, did that year go by fast? Overflow Coffee Bar is a community-minded coffee shop that is helping SLCC Food Pantry by serving as a donation drop-off point. Nonperishable food items dropped off at Overflow have been distributed to those in need in our neighborhood. Celebrate Overflow’s anniversary by stopping by for a cup of fair trade coffee. Be sure to thank them for being good neighbors in the South Loop.

Whole frozen chickens were distributed Saturday.

More Drop-off Locations
Besides Overflow, you can drop-off nonperishable food items for the SLCC Food Pantry at the 2nd Ward Alderman’s Office and Urban-Remix. You may also drop-off food items at SLCC’s facility during normal business hours during the week. To make sure there is someone to receive your contributions, we recommend you call each drop-off location before you make your visit.

For a complete list of drop-off locations, including contact information, please click on
the “Food Drop-Off Locations” tab.

Food Pantry Update

Bags of food all in a row.

Another Saturday at the SLCC Food Pantry has come to an end. Maybe it was the beautiful weather or the St. Patrick’s Day festivities, but we weren’t nearly as busy as we were last week. Those guests who did show up received bags of food, frozen spinach, and bread—once again, courtesy of Panera Bread. . Guests were also able to choose three additional food items out of an assortment set up on a table. Many of those items items were donated from residents of the South Loop. Thank you, neighbors!

New Drop-Off Location
We have a new food drop-off location: Urban Re-Mix at 1468 S. Michigan Ave. Urban Re-Mix is an upscale furnishings consignment shop. Food items may be dropped off during normal business hours. For information on their business hours, please visit their Web site. When you’re looking for some unique home furnishings, drop in at Urban Re-Mix.

Vanessa and Daisy are ready to greet our guests.

More Drop-Off Locations Wanted
If you know of a business or organization that would be and ideal spot for dropping off donations for the SLCC Food Pantry, please contact us.

We’re Up and Running!

A short break during food distribution

We launched our food pantry outreach Saturday, March 10, 2012, 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. as a member agent of the Greater Chicago Food Depository. We were able to distribute 40 bags of groceries to needy individuals and families. Our food pantry will be open every Saturday from 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

Bags were filled with an assortment of nonperishable food items. Individuals received one bag of food; families of three or more received two bags. Food pantry clients were also given a choice of receiving frozen spinach, bread (donated by Panera Bread), and produce. Clients were also allowed to choose three items from a table of assorted food items like canned tuna, soups, peanut butter, and canned fruits and vegetables.

We are currently the only food pantry in the 60605 zip code, so we know we have our work cut out for us. The pantry is located at 1347 S. State St., which is also the location of South Loop Community Church.

For more information on the food pantry, donation and volunteer opportunities, the Greater Chicago Food Depository, and Food Drop-off locations, click on the respective tabs at the top of the page. Check back later for food pantry news and updates.

We  distributed potatoes and carrots to
those who wanted them.