The Latin Parent Association is hosting a canned food drive from Nov. 1 to Dec. 19 to support multiple community partners, including Nourish Hope, the Greater Chicago Food Depository, and High Jump.
Community members can donate canned goods and non-perishables in the bins located on the first floor of the Upper School until Dec. 19. High-protein foods, such as tuna, chicken, and beans, are in the greatest demand.
The Parent Association also accepts financial donations to the Latin Parent Association Hunger Relief Fundraiser.
Food insecurity is greater today than it has ever been. Currently, one in five households in the Chicagoland area faces food insecurity, and many rely on food pantries for their nutritional needs.
As a result of the recent government shutdown, benefits from SNAP, a government-provided food assistance program, have also been delayed for more than 42 million families in the United States. In Chicago, the shutdown caused unprecedented food stress for more than 600,000 people who rely on SNAP benefits, and more than 153,000 federal workers in Illinois went without paychecks for over a month, limiting their budget for necessities such as food.
New eligibility requirements imposed by the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” will also cause people, including lawfully present immigrants such as refugees and individuals granted asylum, to lose SNAP benefits. Immigrants make up 22% of Chicago’s population, and studies show that they help boost the economy and keep inflation in check. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act directly impacts a huge part of the population and raises serious issues for immigrants who may already be struggling.
Some people will be cut from SNAP entirely because of the act’s expansion of a rule limiting SNAP to three months out of every three years for people who can’t document that they are exempt, according to the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. Among the most vulnerable from this change are unemployed adults who aren’t disabled and aren’t raising minor children. Many of the people in this category are among the nation’s poorest. They have been allowed to receive SNAP benefits up until now because they have faced difficulties getting jobs, but their access to food assistance may now be taken away.
Additionally, areas with a heavy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) population have reported that, after agents visited numerous food pantries and kitchens around Chicago, there has been a decrease in pantry visits.
Donating non-perishable items or canned goods makes a real difference that helps Chicago community members who are in the greatest need of support, Jen Biehler, Chief Philanthropy Officer of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, said. “Nearly 70% of our revenue comes from donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations, including schools. Without that support, we would not be able to do our work.”
One Latin student participant, freshman Abbey DeWitt, encouraged students who are capable of donating to do so. “Donating is an easy way to give back to people who are less fortunate,” she said.
Supplying food, job resources, and medical benefits, the Greater Chicago Food Depository provides a helping hand for many individuals and communities throughout the Chicagoland area. In 2024, the Greater Chicago Food Depository provided more than 96 million meals with the help of donations and volunteers. Additionally, the organization partners with more than 800 food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters to reach as many people as possible. As a non-profit organization, they rely on donations to ensure they have sufficient supplies to distribute food to those in need.
The food drive at Latin is an easy way to support the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Nourish Hope, and other organizations as they provide hunger relief and seek to ultimately end hunger in Chicago.
Freshman Mofe Onigbanjo said, “Giving charity does not only make the people who receive feel better, but the giving feels good as well.”
