Another assist from Derrick Rose
CHICAGO, August 4, 2009 – The Greater Chicago Food Depository is launching a public awareness campaign to celebrate its 30th anniversary of serving the hungry in the Chicago area. The focus – “Helping the Hungry for 30 Years” – is to thank those who have contributed to Chicago’s food bank and raise awareness of the continuing need in Chicago and Cook County.
The campaign features Bulls guard Derrick Rose along with other notables in advertisements and public service announcements that will appear on CTA trains and buses and other outdoor locations around Chicago and on television and radio. Among those appearing in the ads besides Rose include: Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley; U. S. Senator Richard Durbin; and Steppenwolf Theatre Company actor John Mahoney.
Founded in 1979, the Food Depository has distributed 750 million pounds of food to millions of Chicagoans in need. The 30th anniversary comes at a time of unprecedented demand for emergency food and services. Over the past year, the food bank has distributed a record 58 million pounds of food, an increase of 26%. This would not have been possible without the assistance of thousands of people in the Chicago community – donors, volunteers, food suppliers and organizations and individuals such as those participating in the “Helping the Hungry for 30 Years” campaign. It will run in two phases, beginning the first week of August.
"We are so grateful for the support of thousands of Chicagoans during the past 30 years," said Kate Maehr, executive director of the Greater Chicago Food Depository. "From our humble beginnings at the historic South Water Market to distributing 58 million pounds of food this year, the Food Depository has served as a beacon of hope for scores of individuals and families in Cook County. We hope this campaign reflects our gratitude while highlighting the ongoing need in our community."
To see all of the ads, please go to: www.chicagosfoodbank.org/30years.
The campaign will run through the end of the year. The range of participants is designed to acknowledge the Food Depository’s 30 years of service to Chicago, while underscoring that importance of addressing the daily challenges for tens of thousands of men, women and children throughout the community.
The Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago’s food bank, is a non-profit food distribution and training center providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in our community. The Food Depository distributes donated and purchased food through a network of 600 pantries, soup kitchens and shelters to 500,000 adults and children in Cook County every year. Last year, the Food Depository distributed 58 million pounds of nonperishable food and fresh produce, dairy products and meat, the equivalent of 119,000 meals every day.