Music For Food featuring Spektral Quartet at PianoForte Studios November 22

Sunday, November 22, 2015, 5 p.m.
PianoForte Studios
1335 S. Michigan Ave.
Admission: Monetary donation and/or non-perishable food items
Event Web site

Thanksgiving is synonymous with gatherings of family and celebrations of abundance, but it is also an opportunity to consider those for whom food is far from plentiful. This November, Spektral Quartet expresses its own gratitude by partnering with Music for Food to bring much-needed food to hungry people in Chicago with a rousing concert benefiting the South Loop Community Church Food Pantry.

Internationally renowned violist and program founder Kim Kashkashian launched Music for Food as a community-based initiative to transform talent into real world hunger relief for those in need. Music for Food has provided over 200,000 meals during its six-year tenure, with the goal of addressing the everyday, long-term effects of hunger on children and families. A 2012 USDA report found that 20% of Americans live in food-insecure households, and Music for Food aims to help lower that staggering number.

The Spektral Quartet will perform Schubert’s Quartettsatz, Cage’s Quartet in Four Parts, Prokofiev’s String Quartet No. 1, and Beethoven’s Grosse Fuge for any attendee making a monetary or non-perishable food donatioin at the PianoForte Studios on November 22. While the admission process may be out of the ordinary, the program is characteristically diverse for Spektral, taking the audience from the Romantic melodrama of the Schubert to the Zen-like stillness of Cage, and from the lyrical twists of Prokofiev through the ecstatic counterpoint of the Beethoven.

The Spektral Quartet’s concert marks the second Music for Food event in Chicago, led by cellist Mira Luxion. For this event, concertgoers are offered incentives for giving beyond the suggested $20 donation. Donors at the $50-or-more level will be invited for drinks with the quartet following the concert, and gifts of $100 or more will provide a Thanksgiving basket to a South Loop Pantry client as well as an invitation to post-show cocktails. Donors are requested to make their contributions by November 18, to secure their seats.

For queries and interview requests, please contact doyle@spektralquartet.com. For Music for Food inquiries, please contact Mira Luxion at miracello@gmail.com.

Fresh produce returns to the food pantry

This Saturday (October 24), fresh produce will return to the South Loop Community Church Food Pantry, 1347 S. State Street. Starting this month, the food pantry will be offering fresh produce, along with their regular food distribution, on the fourth Saturday of each month.

The food pantry is open every Saturday 9 – 11 a.m. serving those in need in Cook County. Clients can come to the food pantry every week if they need to.

South Loop Community Church to offer women’s clothing for sale

South Loop Community Church, 1347 S. State St., will be offering new and gently used women’s clothing the third Saturday of each month starting September 19, 2015. The time will coincide with the hours of the church’s food pantry, 9 – 11 a.m.

Name brand and designer clothes for women on racks for browsing

For $20 ($30 for a larger bage) customers will get a shopping bag (see picture below) that they can fill with clothes. All sales will be in cash. No checks, no credit cards. There will be no returns, exchanges, or layaways. There is no limit on shopping. Clothes for sale will include designer and name brands.

For $20 you can fill the above bag up with clothes.

The church will still  offer donated, gently used clothing for both men and women free of charge.

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.

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.

29th Annual Hunger Walk June 21, 2014

Event Day—Soldier Field Chicago
Saturday, June 21, 2014
Registration: 7 a.m.
Step-Off: 8:30 a.m.

On Saturday, June 21, thousands of men, women and children will gather on Chicago’s lakefront to raise funds and awareness for the fight to end hunger in Cook County. The Hunger Walk is a fun opportunity for all types of businesses, organizations and individuals to help ensure their neighbors get the food they need.

The 5K, 3.1 mile Hunger Walk benefits pantries, soup kitchens and shelters in Cook County that are members of the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s network.

Support a local food pantry
The South Loop Community Church. 1347 S. State St., operates a food pantry every Saturday from 9-11 a.m. If you’d like to walk in support of SLCC Food Pantry, click here for a form with their agency name and number already entered. For every walker the food pantry gets $12 that they can use to purchase food from the Greater Chicago Food Depository. For a blank form, click here.

For more information on the Greater Chicago Food Depository, please visit their Web site.

Produce this Saturday, April 5, 2014

Food Pantry Hours: Every Saturday 9 - 11 a.m.
The first three Saturdays of the month, the SLCC food pantry offers fresh produce. April 5 is the first Saturday of the month. We never know what kind of produce we’ll be offering until the morning it is delivered. In the past, we’ve had apples, oranges, lettuce, onions, potatoes, pears, cucumbers, carrots, and more. Clients are welcome to take as much produce as they can carry. We have produce bags, but clients should feel free to bring their own grocery bags, if they have them.

All clients will receive a bag of nonperishable food items

Along with the fresh produce, clients will also receive a bag of nonperishable food items. And while they last, sandwiches and salads courtesy of Pret A Manger.

Salads and sandwiches, while they last, from Pret A Manger

Happy New Year from the SLCC Food Pantry!

We’re looking forward to serving the South Loop and Chicago communities in 2014. We’re very grateful for all the volunteers through the year, as well as the businesses and organizations that have assisted us.

This Saturday, January 4, 2014, we’ll be distributing food and fresh produce from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Christmas Toy Store

Volunteers get gifts ready for the toy store.

This year we had a Christmas Toy Store for two weeks during the operation of the food pantry. We had new toys for girls and boys for modest prices, many well below their original cost. The prices for toys ranged from a low of $1 to a high of $5; no toy was priced higher. Customers were able to buy up to five gifts during one visit to the toy store. We also had gift-wrapping available for those who requested it. We were delighted to have people from the neighborhood volunteer to help at the toy store, including several members of the Greater South Loop Association board. The GSLA helped us provide turkeys and fixings for our Thanksgiving food distribution by giving the pantry a generous donation of $1000. We distributed 120 turkeys on November 23, 2013.

Gift wrapping was available at the toy store.

Thank you, neighbors!
Thanks to Overflow Coffee Bar—Overflow has been a partner with the food pantry from the very start. Their have a food donation basket has been a constant source of nonperishable food items throughout the year. They just don’t sell great coffee, they’re great neighbors.

We also want to thank our wonderful volunteers. We have a regular group of volunteers from the surrounding area, including the folks from the Loop Church. Located at the Daystar Center, their members have been very generous with their time and donations of food—they help that food pantry basket at Overflow, well, overflowing! We also want to thank our regular volunteers from South Loop Community Church, the high school and college students, as well as the many folks that help us behind the scenes working with the Greater Chicago Food Depository, placing orders and keeping a check on inventory. A special thank you goes to food pantry coordinator, Rosa Ellis.

Clothes Ministry
We also want to thank those who help with the clothes ministry that operates during food pantry hours on the second and third Saturdays of the month. The clothes ministry offers clothes and accessories, free of charge, for men, women, and children. We want to extend a big thank you to clothes ministry coordinator Daisy Bell for all her hard work.

Daisy Bell and Rosa Ellis pose in front of some of the toys available at
the Christmas Toy Store.

Volunteer opportunities

We’re always in need of volunteers. There are opportunities to help during food distribution and with food deliveries during the month. If you think you’d like to volunteer, please click on the tab that says “Donate & Volunteer” at the top of the page.

Food Pantry will be closed on November 30, 2013

The South Loop Community Church Food Pantry will be closed on Saturday, November 30, 2013. Normal food pantry operation will resume the following Saturday, December 7. The SLCC Food Pantry hours of operation are 9 – 11 a.m. every Saturday (unless otherwise noted). On December 7, we will also be offering fresh produce.

SLCC Food Pantry will be providing fresh produce on December 7, 2013.

Thanksgiving Turkey distribution November 23, 2013

South Loop Community Church Food Pantry will be distributing frozen turkeys on November 23, 2013 during normal food distribution hours, 9 – 11 a.m. One turkey will be given to each household while they last. Along with the turkeys, we’re planning on including some Thanksgiving sides like cranberry sauce and stovetop stuffing. To make sure that our clients aren’t disappointed, we need your help. If you can donate nonperishable items that would be appropriate for a Thanksgiving celebration, please drop them off at SLCC, 1347 S. State St. during normal business hours Monday through Friday. You may also drop off items at Overflow Coffee Bar at 1550 S. State St. If you have any questions, please call 312. 566.9076 or e-mail Rosa Ellis @ellislaine@sbcglobal.net.

Winter Clothes Drive

Accepting coat donations for men, women, and
children

Winter Coat and Clothes Drive
With winter fast approaching, the South Loop Community Church Food Pantry at 1347 S. State St. is gearing up for a winter coat and clothes drive. Twice a week—the second and third Saturdays of the month—the food pantry distributes clothes, at no charge, to those in need, along with its weekly food distribution. If you have a winter coat that you’re no longer using, please consider donating it to the SLCC Food Pantry. You may deliver you coat Monday through Friday during normal business hours. Please call 312.566.9076 before you drop off your donation to ensure there will be someone to receive it.

Clothes Ministry is Growing
The clothes ministry has been growing. If you would like to consider volunteering your time, please contact Daisy J. Bell, coordinator at Dd1508@aol.com or call 312.566.9076. For more information on the clothes ministry, please click on the clothes ministry tab on this page.

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.

Last chance for fresh produce and clothes until next month

This Saturday September 21, 2013 is the last week for produce and clothes distribution until next month. Fresh produce is distributed on the first, second, and third Saturdays. Clothes are distributed on the second and third Saturdays of the month.

Last week's produce included organic mini peeled carrots.

A free farmers market
Although we don’t now exactly know what kind of produce we’ll have until Saturday distribution, what we offer is always fresh and nutritious. On previous weeks, we’ve offered fresh whole pineapples, peaches, green peppers, cucumbers, lettuce, and spinach. Clients are encouraged to take as much as they can carry.

Getting ready for our “farmers market” in the church parking lot at 1347 S. State St.

Free clothes and accessories
Need some new clothes? How about a belt or a scarf? You find a good selection of clothes and accessories for men, women, and children. We even have a nice selection of costume jewelry to complement your outfit!

Currently offering a selection of handbags for women

Donations accepted
We are always in need of donations of clothes and nonperishable food. If you would like to donate food or clothing, you may drop items off at the church during normal business hours Monday through Friday. We recommend that you call 312.566.9076 to make sure their will be someone here to receive your donations. We have two food drop-off locations beside the church, which may be more convenient for you: Overflow Coffee Bar at 1550 S. State St. and Urban Re-mix at 1468 S. Michigan Ave. For more information, click on the “Drop-Off Locations” tab.

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.

28th Annual Hunger Walk June 29, 2013

Hunger Walk raises funds for Chicago food pantries
On Saturday, June 29, thousands of men, women and children will gather on Chicago’s lakefront to raise funds and awareness for the fight to end hunger in Cook County. The Hunger Walk is a fun opportunity for all types of businesses, organizations and individuals to help ensure their neighbors get the food they need.

Soldier Field, Chicago
Registration 7:00 a.m. | Step-off 8:30 a.m.

The 5k, 3.1 mile Hunger Walk benefits pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters in Cook County that are members of the Greater Chicago Food Depository’s network.

Come walk with us to support our food pantry!
If you want to help raise funds for the South Loop Community Church Food Pantry, please consider walking with us on the June 29. You can support us and help us raise funds just by showing up with the registration form filled out. For every walker we bring to the event, our food pantry gets $12! To download a registration form, click here.

If you can’t walk with us, but would still like to support us, visit our team page and make a donation at the Food Depository Web site.

Hymns for Hunger

The Venue 1550, located at 1550 S. State St. will feature a great night of music with performances from Andrew Greer and Cindy Morgan, singer-songwriters from Nashville on Friday March 22 at 7:30 p.m.

The concert is free but donations of non-perishable food items will be accepted for the South Loop Community Church Food Pantry.

To learn about upcoming events at the Venue 1550 at the Daystar Center, visit their Web site. You can also find them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

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.

Neighborhood organization and local business contribute to pantry

Neighbors helping neighbors
The Greater South Loop Association and Overflow Coffee Bar have contributed funds for the South Loop Community Church Food Pantry. The GSLA donated $500 from entry donatations taken in during the 2012 Bash on Wabash. Overflow Coffee Bar donated a percentage of sales from their Ten Thousand Villages items they sell and feature every Saturday at the coffee bar. Since the food pantry operates with a very small budget, provided by South Loop Community Church,

donations are really appreciated and necessary for us to provide nourishing food to those in need in the South Loop.







Give thanks
Next time you’re at Overflow Coffee Bar or attend a GSLA meeting, please thank them for supporting the food pantry. You can find the GSLA and Overflow on Facebook and Twitter. Here are their respective links: GLSA on Facebook, Twitter; Overflow on Facebook, Twitter.

Attend the Bash on Wabash this weekend and support the SLCC Food Pantry

The Greater South Loop Association, sponsors of the annual Bash on Wabash, will give a portion of the proceeds from the street festival to the South Loop Community Church Food Pantry. The 2012 Bash on Wabash will take place on August 25 and 26 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. both days. When people arrive at the gate, they will see the following:

A portion of the proceeds from the Greater South Loop Association’s “Bash on Wabash” will go toward the South Loop Community Church Food Pantry. The SLCC Food Pantry serves Chicago residents in need of good, nourishing food. Every Saturday, from 9-11am, the pantry gives each family a bag of groceries, as well as fresh vegetables, bread, and protein, when available. The SLCC Food Pantry is a member agent of the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

2011 Bash on Wabash

The Bash on Wabash is a family-friendly event with music, food, games, and a lively children’s play area. For more information on the Bash, visit the official Bash Web site. You can also find them on Facebook and Twitter.

“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.”