Category: FC Updates

The Friendship Center Food Pantry to Partner with NorthShore University HealthSystem to Transform Pantry and Support More Neighbors in Need

$200,000 from NorthShore’s Community Investment Fund will accelerate strategies to serve Chicago’s food insecure at scale with respect and dignity 

[Chicago] – February 28, 2022 – The Friendship Center, a food pantry on Chicago’s northwest side, today announced receipt of $200,000 from NorthShore’s Community Investment Fund (CIF) to improve the way it serves its neighbors facing hunger by modernizing its facility and increasing mobile capacities to provide needed resources across its area neighborhoods. As one of the first to partner with NorthShore through its CIF, the organizations will work collaboratively to reduce the stigma associated with visiting a food pantry and to increase stability in the lives of those facing food insecurity. 

“Food insecurity in our communities has reached new levels because of COVID and high inflation. Unfortunately, these economic shocks will be felt for years. This investment will allow us to quickly evolve to better meet the sustained need in a number of ways,” said Justin Block, Executive Director of The Friendship Center.

NorthShore, including Swedish and Northwest Community Healthcare, selected The Friendship Center as one of seven local organizations across Lake and Cook Counties to collaborate on programs that enhance health and wellbeing, advance health equity and support local economic growth. As a prominent feature of their recently finalized merger, NorthShore and Edward-Elmhurst Health each committed $100 million, which will generate millions of dollars annually, to benefit their respective communities. 

“We all must play a greater role in environmental stewardship and The Friendship Center is on the front lines of our health sustainability efforts by supporting food insecure populations to improve overall care, quality and safety within our communities,” said Gabrielle Cummings, President, NorthShore Legacy Acute Care and Highland Park Hospital. 

The Friendship Center will use the investment to benefit the people it serves by transforming its facility into a welcoming, normalized grocery shopping experience; by increasing access to available helpful benefits, information, and services; by optimizing its onsite storage capacity; and by becoming more flexible with mobile distributions. NorthShore-Swedish and The Friendship Center currently partner to provide nutrition classes and COVID-19 vaccine awareness information to The Friendship Center clients, and to supply groceries to The Cupboard, the onsite food pantry at NorthShore-Swedish.

“Our Community Investment Fund is built on the principle that the more we connect and invest in our communities, the better we all become,” added Cummings. “We aim to be a true catalyst for change—putting our talents, unique capabilities and resources to work by collaborating with local organizations, like The Friendship Center, through creative partnerships for the benefit of our communities.” 

To learn more about NorthShore’s commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and the Community Investment Fund, click here. 

About The Friendship Center

Founded in 1969, The Friendship Center is a non-sectarian, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization providing groceries for 2,000 residents every month in the Albany Park, Lincoln Square, North Park, Ravenswood, and West Ridge neighborhoods of Chicago and Lincolnwood. The food pantry is accessible four days a week and provides a hot meal service Thursday evenings, as well as homebound grocery delivery service. The Friendship Center also hosts a pet food pantry once per month. The Friendship Center also supports programming to reduce food waste and improve food security for the people it serves; educates the public about the issue of hunger; and improves access to resources that protect people from going hungry. Visit friendshipcenterchicago.org, or find us on Facebook, Instagram or follow us on Twitter.

About NorthShore – Edward-Elmhurst Health

NorthShore – Edward-Elmhurst Health is a fully integrated healthcare delivery system committed to providing access to quality, vibrant, community-connected care, serving an area of more than 4.2 million residents across six northeast Illinois counties. Our more than 25,000 team members and more than 6,000 physicians aim to deliver transformative patient experiences and expert care close to home across more than 300 ambulatory locations and eight acute care hospitals – Edward (Naperville), Elmhurst, Evanston, Glenbrook (Glenview), Highland Park, Northwest Community (Arlington Heights) Skokie and Swedish (Chicago) – all recognized as Magnet hospitals for nursing excellence. Located in Naperville, Linden Oaks Behavioral Health, provides for the mental health needs of area residents. For more information, visit NorthShore.org, SwedishCovenant.org, NCH.org and EEHealth.org. 

Current Covid Policies

Chicago lifted its mask mandate, effective Feb 28th, 2022. Key metrics the City used to track COVID-19 cases and hospital capacity since early in the pandemic have all reached the pre-defined “lower” risk category, meaning they have been in an acceptable lower risk range for a long enough time period. This is encouraging news!

Food businesses like grocery stores are now mask optional, but congregate settings like homeless shelters are still mask mandated. Many Chicagoans will continue to wear masks in public spaces for a variety of reasons, even if they are vaccinated. The Friendship Center sits somewhere in the middle, since we rely on volunteers and serve a population that may be under-vaccinated.

Taking these components into consideration, we are adopting a split policy: if you are a client, a volunteer or staff engaging with one, or in the walled-in shopping area, we request you wear a mask. If you are a volunteer or staff and serving behind that front line, masks are optional.

To further mitigate risk and create a safer space, we are partnering with both Swedish Hospital and Heartland Heath Centers to provide vaccine availability information and updated COVID facts to our clients. While the weather is still cold, it will be via flyers in grocery boxes, but as it warms up, we’ll invite those partners onsite to answer questions. We have also located 300 at-home COVID-19 test kits, soon to be made available for distribution and onsite for anyone displaying symptoms.

If community transmission rates increase or other factors dictate, we will continue to stay flexible in these policies and revise as needed. We will keep this page current so continue to check back to see if any changes have been made to our Covid policies.

Thanks again for your partnership in supporting our neighbors facing hunger!

Best regards,

Justin Block, Executive Director

Friendship Center Welcomes Justin Block as Executive Director

Northside food pantry continues its evolution in supporting food-insecure neighbors

CHICAGO, IL – September 15, 2021 – Due to rising demand for its services and concerns about food waste amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Friendship Center – a food pantry serving the Albany Park, Lincoln Square, North Park, Ravenswood and West Ridge neighborhoods of Chicago – is hiring an Executive Director to help provide more food to neighbors in need. Effective October 11, 2021, Justin Block will guide the nonprofit in meeting the local demand for charitable food assistance and other vital resources. 

For years, Block worked at Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization, leading Supply Chain, Data and Technology teams, and oversaw the development of MealConnect, a food donation platform that recently eclipsed the 3 billion pounds mark. He has also held positions at Shorebank and Urban Partnership Bank, community development financial institutions active in commercial and consumer lending in the undercapitalized south and west sides of Chicago, Cleveland and Detroit. Transitioning to the role from his current Friendship Center board member capacity, Block holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Texas at Austin.    

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to improve the lives of the food insecure folks on Chicago’s North side,” Block says. “I’ve lived in Albany Park for about a decade and am eager to create a better experience for my neighbors facing hunger.” 

The hire comes at a time when the coronavirus Delta variant prolongs the economic downturn for many Chicagoans. “Last year we saw an unprecedented number of visitors,” remarks Ted Helwig, Friendship Center Board Chair. “We feel strongly that building our leadership team at this critical time is the right thing to do.” Even with a solid connection to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, expanding the Friendship Center’s local partnerships will ensure it is able to grow to meet the need. Block will be developing and implementing a multiyear organizational strategy with a focus on making meaningful progress in reducing food insecurity for the community. 

For more information on the Friendship Center, visit friendshipcenterchicago.org

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Press Contact

Greta Bailey at greta@friendshipcenterchicago.org or 773.907.6388

About the Friendship Center

Founded in 1969, the Friendship Center is a non-sectarian, nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization providing groceries for 2,000 people every month for residents of the Albany Park, Lincoln Square, North Park, Ravenswood and West Ridge neighborhoods of Chicago. The food pantry is accessible four days a week and a hot meal service is provided Thursday evenings. A pet food pantry is hosted once per month and home delivery service is available for seniors and other individuals who are homebound. The Friendship Center also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and improves access to resources that protect people from going hungry. Visit friendshipcenterchicago.org, or find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

It’s Official: Our Sign Is Here!

Two years after moving into our new home on Lawrence Avenue, we finally have the sign to prove it!

This building, with its kitchen and storage space, has been instrumental in helping us navigate these challenging times. A new sign finally makes it feel like home.

Thanks to TFA Signs for the design and install and the 40th Ward office for its assistance in navigating city bureaucracy … Come by and check out our new look!