HARNESSING THE POWER OF COMMUNITIES TO END HUNGER.

We believe hunger is solvable, and the solution includes all of us.

Source: Nonprofit submitted responses

Goal One: Champion an anti-racist organizational strategy

Goal Type: This goal reflects our commitment to further our advocacy work for our organization and or cause area.

Goal Two: Deepen and extend the impact of our programs on populations that are disproportionally impacted by food insecurity

Goal Type: Grow, expand, scale or increase access to the existing programs and services.

Goal Three: Galvanize our community to help end hunger

Goal Type: New program(s) based on observed changes in needs among our constituencies/communities served.

Describe an investment in leadership

Each month our full team participates in various professional development opportunities often equally over 100 combined hours per month. One specific example of leadership development is the enrollment of two of our managers in the Oak Park Community Foundation's Leadership LAB. The program immerses participants in community leadership opportunities. As a cohort individuals identify core community issues while setting personal goals for growth and engagement.

This organization mobilizes for mission in the following ways:

• Strategic Partnerships

• Networks of Collective Impact Efforts

• Thought Leadership

• Raising Awareness

• Community Building

• Policy Advocacy

What are this organization’s external mobilizaton efforts?

Our external mobilization is central to our mission and vision. We have a robust action and advocacy program where we inform our community about legislative policy they can help impact. We presented at a national conference this year to help encourage other hunger relief agencies to form a council of clients with lived experience to impact programs. Through our robust digital marketing platforms we can reach over 15,000 individuals per month. We engage with and belong to national and local direct service and advocacy organizations and take frequent opportunities to share our expertise to help any organization in their efforts to end hunger.

Plato wrote in the Republic, “our need will be the real creator.” We know it as: “necessity is the mother of invention.” During this past fiscal year, we’ve lived out this maxim. The Beyond Hunger team worked creatively at breakneck speed all year to get food on the tables of those who needed it most. And you supported us all along the way. We now serve people through four safe options: a drive thru food pantry, a “mini-mart” self-selection food pantry inside First United Church, an off-site monthly pop-up “Despensa” food pantry serving vulnerable immigrant families, and a vastly expanded home delivery program for older adults and people with disabilities. Program expansion was fueled by generous support, allowing critical infrastructural changes. To ensure the sustainability of the expanded reach of the home delivery program, we opened a dedicated location and added staff. The addition of cold storage in both facilities and a new refrigerated van meant we have been able to increase and safely deliver quality protein for all our program participants. These creative solutions didn’t come in a vacuum. Instead, we engaged those with lived experience of hunger to evaluate programs and advocate for needed changes. A group of Beyond Hunger participants has shared their experiences with local and national anti-hunger leaders to help shape policy and advocate for the right for all people to be free from hunger. While we have moved beyond the initial pandemic crisis, we continue to adapt to changing community needs. Through it all we’ve stayed true to our values—serving our community with dignity.