“Because of you, Franciscan Outreach is able to make a positive difference in the lives of so many who have nowhere else to turn for help and hope.” Executive Director, Franciscan Outreach, Chicago
Hunger is not letting up even as inflation seems to slow
To the surprise of many, food insecurity is not declining in the U.S. It’s hanging on as the last of the Covid-19 aid programs has ended and higher costs for some foods continues to strain American household budgets.
Affordable housing shortages, higher interest rates, creeping energy costs, labor strikes, severe weather and the growing number of people being laid-off have all contributed to this surprising number of people who are having trouble putting food on their tables.
The percentage of households across the U.S. who are food insecure is 10.2% with nearly 4% of those facing severe insecurity.
Coming Events
HRN Student Food Pack Program-Ongoing
Free and reduced price school lunch programs are wonderful. But they’re not enough. So we provide nutritious, overflowing bags of food to every student we can. We have an amazing group of partner organizations including; Sunset Foods, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Northbrook Evangelical Covenant Church, Congregation Beth Shalom, The Village Presbyterian Church and the Northbrook Chamber of Commerce. But, we need lots more help to reduce the number of students coming to school on an empty stomach.
Click here to donate or for more information.
Community Outreach Food Delivery Day-Veterans Day, November 11
Once again thousands of pounds of nutritious frozen chicken will be sent winging its way to food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens and churches all over Chicagoland. This year, for the first time ever, we will be distributing 132,000 pounds. That’s 12,000 more pounds of chicken than ever before! That comes to 264,000 protein servings for our neighbors in need. And, this year, on Veterans Day, we will be providing thousands of servings to our Veterans in need. There is a great feeling of accomplishment as we load up some 80 trucks, of all types and sizes, and send them on their way to hungry families in every corner of Chicagoland.
Click here to contribute needed funds to continue our Community Outreach Days.
For more information on HRN and these events click here or go to hungerresourcenetwork.org.
Protein’s Our Unique Thing
Hunger Resource Network provides 240,000-250,000 pounds of frozen chicken each year to some 100 Chicago-area organizations who feed the hungry. The protein in this quality chicken is the ideal nutrient in helping people stay healthy--especially when they are food insecure. To learn more about why protein is so important to our diet click here. Hunger Resource Network is the only organization we know of that focuses on providing this essential nutrient to those in need.
To enjoy your own healthy nutrient-rich meal try this amazing recipe provided by Marcy Kirshenbaum from Enhance Nutrition. Marcy’s company helps people stay as strong and healthy as possible through proper eating. Contact her at 847-987-1128.
White Bean and Chicken Chili-by Marcy
In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the ground chicken, salt, cumin, fennel seeds, oregano, and chili powder. Cook stirring frequently until the chicken is cooked through, about 8 minutes. Add the beans, Swiss chard, and chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping up the brown bits that cling to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Simmer for 55-60 minutes until the liquid has been reduced by half and
the chili has reached desired thickness. Add red pepper flakes and simmer for another 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Past contributions to HRN have enabled us to:
With your help we can take a bite out of hunger.
A $25 contribution helps us provide 50 servings of nutritious, high-quality chicken
A special thank you for their recent contributions to HRN- Ron Bernardi & Sunset Foods, Chevy Chase Country Club and all of our golfers, sponsors and volunteers (it was 92° that day!) and thanks to the Northbrook Rotary for a generous donation.
Welcome to the newest members of our Board of Directors! Julie Yusim, Mattea Hester, Diana Garcia and Kimberly Cortesi. With these four added to our team, hunger better look out.
Would you or someone you know be interested in getting involved in fighting hunger?
Call Kerry Smith at 847-272-1700.
A heartfelt thanks for a job well-done to long-standing HRN Board Members Henry Fetta and Dan DeSio. We will miss you, but we know you’ll still be around contributing in many ways.
Learn more about how you can help us take a bite out of hunger at hungerresourcenetwork.org
Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
Hunger Resource Network is a registered 501c3 non-profit organization