David Cheeks began volunteering with the Food Depository more than 25 years ago, when he worked at the Federal Reserve Bank. There, he was part of a team that promoted corporate social responsibility. He brought a group of his coworkers to repack events every month. Cheeks felt an instant connection to our mission and was struck by the immediate impact of his efforts.
“You go there and they explain the mission to end hunger in Cook County. They make you feel part of it. The staff always emphasize that what you pack today goes out to the community tomorrow,” he said. “Then you see the (Food Depository) trucks driving around in the community and know that could be something you packed going out to feed your neighbors.”
In addition to repack events, Cheeks, 67, has also helped with food rescue, produce deliveries, food distributions for veterans, fundraising and more, clocking more than 2,000 volunteer service hours in the past 25 years.
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do to help the Food Depository.”
David Cheeks, volunteer
Like Cheeks, many volunteers are introduced to the Food Depository as part of a company volunteer team. Whether they have a long-standing relationship with the Food Depository, or are first-time volunteers, these groups do integral work toward ensuring our ability to deliver food to our neighbors across Chicago and Cook County.
In June, a group of 108 employees from Deloitte, a top management consulting firm and one of our longtime corporate partners, volunteered with the Food Depository as part of their annual Impact Day. They repacked the equivalent of 9,646 meals for distribution to our neighbors.
In addition to the volunteers who support the Food Depository at our repack events, there is also a wide network of volunteers who support our partner organizations with food distributions. These individuals play a critical role in serving our neighbors who need food assistance.
The food pantry at First Presbyterian Kimbark serves about 130 families each week thanks to volunteers like Luis Gomez. When Gomez was a young boy, he would have loved to have access to a pantry like theirs with tables full of free, nutritious produce, meat and shelf-stable goods.
Gomez knows first-hand what it feels like to go without food, as he experienced it as a child in his household of three children and a single mom. “I came from the projects,” he said. “My mom would ask our neighbors for food, but they didn’t have any either. Going without food built up anxiety in my heart and soul.”
Memories like these are what inspire Gomez to volunteer at the food pantry every week. Gail Robinson, the pantry coordinator, calls Gomez an unsung hero of the food pantry, and one of the key reasons their Free Food Market is able to serve their community. He’s there every Wednesday for set-up and every Thursday to distribute food, helping to alleviate food insecurity among his neighbors.
“This place represents my hopes and dreams for helping others. This place is my heart,” said Gomez.
Volunteers like Gomez, Cheeks and the Deloitte team are the lifeblood of the Food Depository. We are grateful for their continued hard work and partnership in the movement to create a hunger-free community.
