Greater Chicago Food Depository

This review is of the 2015 Hunger Walk at the entrance for people riding bus or walking to event. It is elitist to assume everyone has a car. There was lack of signage as to which way to go, a bottle neck caused by set up of the registration desk. it was chaos. No one in crowd to answerquestions. No one knew what to do or could get to the counter to ask. I gave up trying to register and instead offered to help the harried volunteers with distribution of an incomplete gift bag plus t-​shirt. I soon saw that it was all about getting something free. There was no control whether someone had already gotten a bag or not. People returned not satisfied with the size of shirt.
Maybe this was the Depository’s plan. To draw a crowd for the publicity at a cost to people who really wanted to participate. I don’t know.
How much did the giveaways cost? Could that money have been better spent? Do I want to donate my hard earned money so the Depository can use it to give t-​shirts to the greedy. I am taking them off my beneficiary list.

If you’re looking for a meaningful volunteer experience in Chicago, this is the place.
The folks here really depend on volunteers, as opposed to some agencies that seem to begrudgingly accept volunteer help and give them menial tasks. They’re always high energy and do a really standup job of making sure volunteers know exactly what they’re doing, that they’re appreciated and how the work they’re doing is helping the community.
You can bring a group or show up the day of to help individually. I think their volunteer website is a little wonky, but overall this is probably my favorite place to volunteer in the city.

These guys do a great job every year in hosting our company’s volunteer effort. Keith has hosted us two years in a row now and he does a great job in getting everyone situated, organized, and fired up about helping. This year we surpassed our thousand box goal by 300 adult boxes in a mere three hour window. Yeah team! We look forward to the return next year.
When you arrive on site, you are encouraged to bring a food donation with you.
These guys are slammed with volunteer offers during the holiday season and chances are they may not have a need for you, so you are most likely better off scheduling your volunteer effort another time of the year.
If I had anything negative to say about them it would be, the parking is all street when you show up onsite which can get dicey if there is a lot of snow and lots of tractor trailer trucks in/​out. Tip — car pooling is encouraged.
The other would be that they are not shy about emailing you frequently all year long, some may find this annoying and gratuitous, so your best bet would be to exclude your email addy when you sign in.

I volunteered here this week with my co-​workers from Northwestern University and I have to say that I was so impressed by the staff at the Greater Chicago Food Depository. They were incredibly organized, informative, upbeat, and friendly.
This type of experience really encourages community involvement and I’ve already called a few friends and family members to see about gathering a group to help with additional volunteer projects.
Thank you Greater Chicago Food Depository for all the incredible work that you do for the community!

I work at the Greater Chicago Food Depository… We supply food to all non profit agencies in cook county that share our mission to end hunger.

A holiday reminder. this is a great organization with an exceptionally high rate of the money you donate going to the actual charity portion of their mission. and not to pay salaries, etc etc… There are a lot of hungry kids and senior citizens out there. if you are looking to make a charitable donation for the holidays, or before the end of the year for tax purposes, I highly recomment the Great Chicago Food Depository!

I went to a Boston University alumni event here last April for our annual Volunteer Day. The turnout among the three different groups that attended was pretty great and, despite the crazy far away location, I had a really nice time. My group worked in the dry room, unpacking three HUMONGOUS boxes of Corn Flakes in order to make them into 8oz bags to be distributed. We worked with some high schools from a private school in Lake Forest. The day went so fast and the organizers were fun, patient, and obviously loved their jobs. I hope I get the chance to volunteer there again!

I have had the opportunity to work with them in the past with deliveries and distribution, and they have a current drive with the Chicago Council of Boy Scouts of America to collect 200,000 of food for families for the holidays. And they couldn’t have made it easier for us to contribute. Plastic grocery bags are left on your doorknob. You fill the bag with donations conveniently described on the bag (and items most of us probably have sitting in the pantry.) You put the filled bag outside on Saturday morning, and the scouts pick them up. They could not have made it easier or more convenient for people to contribute.
GCFD is a real Chicago gem, and a nice counter-​balance to things like our embarrassing politics. A virtual warehouse of redemption! Make sure to support them during the holidays and throughout the year.

I echo Mary T.‘s review entirely. Her stats are right on and this organization makes an amazing difference in Chicagoland everyday.
Recently, I set up a drive on behalf of my advisory at school and I couldn’t be happier. It is so easy to set up a Food Drive at your office, school, church, etc. and they provide everything you need to get the ball rolling. My students are really happy to do the research on the organization and hunger in Chicago and learn about the problems that affect their community everyday.
We are looking forward to volunteering here on December 30 to help out with the sorting and other tasks to make sure all of the food gets to where it needs to be. This organization is fantastic and I highly recommend you get out there and start working with them. It’s so easy and you’ll be making a huge impact on our community.

If it were not for this place, a lot of Chicago food pantries, and shelters would have empty shelves. GCFD is located in the city’s near south side, right off Pulaski from interstate 55 Stevenson Expressway.
Tucked away off the intersection the facility is otherwise hidden to the naked eye. I took a trip to GCFD in November, 2009 to pick up donations for a food pantry. As a volunteer for people who are homeless, I’m grateful this place exists. I dropped off the order, and the guys and girls who load the food were fantastic.
The building is part warehouse, part grocery store, and part social outreach. Greater Chicago Food Depository truly is the engine in Chicago for feeding those in need.
They have a special program for low income individuals and families. If you qualify, you can just show up and shop for groceries on certain days of the month. The food is good quality-​same as you would find at Jewel, Dominick’s or even Whole Foods.
If you are looking for a good social service agency or cause to donate your time, GCFD is an excellent place to volunteer.

Had a absolutely great volunteering experience. I’m not sure about how hard/​easy it was to get a volunteer time slot. When we got there, they started off with a mini orientation about the organization and then provided an explanation as to what task we would be helping out with. Instructions were pretty clear and they were definitely organized. The staff members were nothing but nice, but I have to say the fact that they were organized made for a fun and meaningful experience.

Did a team building event here and it was very well put together. When you first get there they take you through an orientation and then take you to this massive warehouse where you will work for the designated time set for your team. We packaged over a ton of cereal. The staff was fun and it seemed the three hours went by super fast. It was a great experience that I wouldn’t mine doing it again.

The only problem I have with some of the GCFD food sites is that the meat and bread they give away be expired. I feel that people shouldn’t give anything away that they or their family wouldn’t eat. I don’t care if it is free

This is a wonderful organization! They make it easy to volunteer, and they help so many people!

1 — Food bank serving 600 Cook County agencies, shelters, soup kitchens and food pantries
3 — Hours of a Saturday afternoon spent with 7 other Unilocalers volunteering at GCFD
11– Acres, the size of the GCFD facility
4,300 — Pounds of bread (loaves, rolls, bagels, and buns) packed up for distribution by 13 volunteers
55,000,000 — Pounds of food expected to be distributed by GCFD this year
20 — Times, while sorting bread, I fantasized about rolling around in a mountain full of Parker House rolls — I’m a bread fiend!
GCFD is a great organization, providing food to the hungry and skills training to break the cycle of poverty. Their facility is amazing and immaculate, it makes Costco look the size of a 7 – 11 in comparison.
Upon arriving we were welcomed by Jim, the volunteer coordinator, and thanked for giving our time. He quickly outlined the tasks for our shift and split us into groups. Everything was well planned and organized, our team quickly became a well-​oiled sorting and packing machine. I’ve done some other service projects where I’ve felt volunteers were under-​utilized or projects were poorly planned, but not here by the end of my shift I felt like I had made an impact, a small one, but an impact all the same.
The nice thing about GCFD is that you can pick up a one-​off shift easily, whether you’re a group or a solo volunteer just check out the website. The only drawback is that if you’re coming from the Northside it’s a long bus ride, if you have a car drive it.
TIP: If you volunteer (and you won’t regret it) make sure you wear long pants and closed toed shoes for safety reasons.

GCFD is an amazing, well-​run charity serving a vital need in Chicago. Those who give money to GCFD should feel very confident that their money is being spent wisely to help the most people.
I volunteer there now with One Brick, but you can volunteer there as an individual or with another group (Chicago Cares, church groups, school groups, and employers). It’s very easy to volunteer — just call up. And do not worry about being a first-​timer; they provide all training you need.
First time volunteers will probably be shocked at how huge the operation is! Volunteers may be assigned to packing cereal or pasta in 1lb bags or sorting through about-​to-​turn produce or packing emergency food kits. The GCFD has professional staff to run the activity and special equipment (believe, I’ve tried to negotiate me driving the forklift. They just wouldn’t budge on that. :-) Shifts are 3 – 3.5 hours long on the weekend.
If you are going to volunteer, they do have lockers to store your valuables and coat. Also, closed toe, comfortable shoes. You will be standing for much of your shift — but you do get a 15 minute to grab a water and chair time.
Seriously, check it out and build up your karma points!
P. S. The volunteer meeting room has bins to collect non-​perishables. Consider bringing some donations from your pantry (that are not expired). Do you have a ton of those plastic or paper shopping bags? GCFD needs them to distribute to the pantries they serve. Bring your extras to donate!

Truly a wonderful organization that helps people in our own communities.
Skip one small extravagance a month — a mani, a few lattes, what have you — and give it to the GCFD. (No, not the Gotham City Fire Department, a al Batman.) They will make a difference with what you can give, whether it is your money or your volunteer time.

I love this organization. I have volunteered for the GCFD on a number of occasions and look forward to the next time. The warehouse is huge, clean, and very organized. The staff is friendly, helpful, and very devoted to this cause. Volunteer work is easy and entails packing cans of food into boxes, or packing loose food (eg cereal) into bags. I strongly recommend volunteering a couple of hours at the GCFD.

My sorority alumnae group had an opportunity to volunteer at the Greater Chicago Food Depository a few weekends ago just before Thanksgiving. I must say that I have never volunteered for a more organized group! You start out your morning bright & early (8:30am) with an orientation and then you are sent to work until your break around 10:30. The day ends at 12:30 and you leave feeling «warm & fuzzy.» (Cliché, I know, but it’s so true!)
My group of about 15 packed approximately 600 Thanksgiving boxes for needy families in Chicago. We also sorted through bread, checking for dates & then packed them into boxed. Not only were we doing great work, but we also were having a great time! I definitely recommend this to any group that is looking for a way to give back. I also saw several groups from corporations that were there to volunteer — I thought that was an awesome idea & definitely will be bringing it back to my company for the 2008 fiscal year.

As we prepare to celebrate a holiday focused on abundance, it is important to remember that not everyone is able to have a table filled with food and family. If you are able, this is a very worthwhile local charity that uses most of your donation to feed the hungry. Every dollar donated feeds four meals. Please consider this charity for your charitable contributions. And remember that abundance is not about accumulating stuff-​it is about realizing that we all have wealth in our health, family and friends.