At the Greater Chicago Food Depository, we know we can’t end hunger alone. We know it will take a community – volunteers, donors, partners and advocates – working together to ensure every neighbor has access to the food they need. Fiscal year 2025 exemplified that collective commitment.
Volunteers are at the heart of our work. This fiscal year, more than 26,000 individuals contributed nearly 103,000 service hours to the Food Depository. These volunteers helped repack and distribute more than 7 million pounds of food for families, children and older adults across Chicago and Cook County.
Five days a week, volunteers showed up in force to our repack sessions, where they repackaged bulk food into family-size portions for distribution to our partner food pantries. Volunteers also supported food distributions at local pantries, assisted as drivers delivering fresh produce, and joined seasonal and special events such as food rescues, harvests and holiday drives. Every hour of service saved the Food Depository time and resources. Along the way, our volunteers became invaluable ambassadors for the movement to end hunger.
Some volunteers built personal connections that extended beyond our warehouse. Thomas LeClair, a retired nonprofit professional, committed 182 hours in fiscal year 2025 supporting our prepared meals operations. As he delivered scratch-made meals to older adults in the South Suburbs each week, he met neighbors who often struggle with isolation. “Sometimes we’re the only people they see all day,” LeClair reflected. “It’s not just about food, it’s about making sure people feel cared for.”
“It’s not just about food, it’s about making sure people feel cared for.”
– Thomas LeClair, volunteer driver
Our donors are equally vital to our mission to end hunger. Shannon and Tim VanTassel joined the movement to end hunger in 2008, shortly after moving to Chicago, drawn by the Food Depository’s efficiency and impact. In 2016, they brought their then-four-year-old daughter, Ava, to a family repack event – a hands-on volunteer opportunity that became a regular family tradition. “It’s really fun to come here,” said Ava, now 13, at a recent repack session. “It’s a simple task, but you’re making a really big difference.”
For the VanTassels, supporting the Food Depository is more than about giving; it’s about being part of the solution. Each gift and every repack event is their way of helping build a future where hunger no longer exists. “Why should anybody in this country be hungry?” Shannon reflected. “We believe it doesn’t have to be this way.”
Monthly donors like Mike Dessimoz, 83, provide the steady support that allows the Food Depository to plan ahead and invest in long-term solutions to hunger. “I know that my donation every month plays a small part in making a difference,” he said. Dessimoz has been a dedicated monthly donor to the Food Depository since 1985, crediting his parents for instilling in him the value of giving back.
“I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to give,” he said. “And I don’t want to leave for another world without making sure I’ve done all I can to help in this one.”
Stories like LeClair’s, the VanTassels’ and Dessimoz’s illustrate how volunteers and donors power our movement through direct service, personal connection and steadfast support. Throughout fiscal year 2025, their dedication ensured that children enjoyed summer meals, families received fresh produce, and older adults had reliable access to food across Chicago and Cook County.
The Food Depository is deeply grateful for every supporter who gave their time, energy and resources in fiscal year 2025. Together, we can create a hunger-free Chicago.
