Fighting Hunger from the Ground up: Ginkgo Organic Gardens and Vital Bridges

"It was 17 years ago this summer a group of volunteer growers and environmentalists approached us with a bold and exciting opportunity – organic produce for people living with AIDS,” recounts Lori Cannon, Co-Founder of Vital Bridges, an organization with a mission to help people impacted by HIV and AIDS to improve their health. “Knowing full well the challenge of being immune compromised, these terrific volunteers devised a program to grow nutritious and healthy fruits and vegetables for distribution to our clients all summer long.”

These volunteers were the founding members of Uptown’s Ginkgo Organic Gardens, whose goal was to turn the surplus produce of urban gardens into donations for local non-profits that otherwise couldn’t afford organic foods. Twice per week during the spring and summer, volunteers come together to plant, maintain, and harvest the nearly 1,500 pounds of fresh fruits, herbs, and vegetables that are donated annually to Vital Bridges – they even deliver the produce themselves using bicycle trailers.

When Lori calls being immune-compromised a “challenge,” she’s being modest: the dietary needs of a person living with HIV/AIDS are incredibly complex. The AIDS virus attacks T Helper cells, a type of white blood cell that provides direction to our B cells (those that actually produce antibodies and antigens). Numerous studies have shown a direct link between increased consumption of vitamins A, C, and E (“ACE”) and T Helper cell health and quantity; thus, harvesting ACE-packed produce for three hours at Ginkgo is like harvesting three more potential hours of good health for Vital Bridges’ clients.

Today, Vital Bridges is able to serve over 2,000 clients annually and the produce they receive from Ginkgo is a major factor in this outreach. “The families, clients, and care givers all delight in the magnificent selection and the gracious growers and volunteers: the passion and excitement grow with every harvest,” Cannon Says. “We consider ourselves so fortunate to be partners with this unique and important program –it’s proven to be one of the many life-lines needed to combat this dreaded disease.

Chicago Cares currently runs three programs with Vital Bridges year-round: Grocery Land South on the South side, Shopping on Lake on the West side, and Shopping on Broadway on the North side. Volunteers help in the pantry by “shopping” for and packaging the items clients select from the list of available goods. We bring volunteers to work in the gardens at Ginkgo on Saturday mornings April - October.

For more information about Vital Bridges visit www.vitalbridges.org. Information about Ginkgo Organic Gardens can be found at www.ginkgogardens.org or you can check out their blog at http://ginkgogardens.blogspot.com/. To volunteer with Chicago Cares at either location, please go to www.chicagocares.org/calendar and contact the Team Coordinator for your desired project date.

Save the Date for the Star Awards

We want to thank you for your continued hard work and dedication throughout the past year – we couldn’t have had such an impact around Chicago without the support of our volunteer community!  Please join us on Monday, October 25  from 6 – 9 PM at the Four Seasons Chicago as we pay tribute to our devoted volunteers, leaders, partner agencies, corporate partners, and supporters! Thank you, from our staff to each of you for your hard work and commitment.

SAVE THE DATE: Monday October 25 from 6 – 9 PM

Support Chicago Through Business Shares

Over the past few years, our Business Shares program has been growing at an unprecedented rate. Thanks to the hard work of our Development and Service Events teams, Chicago Cares was able to pull through a difficult economic year by bringing on new partnerships like Kraft, the White Sox and more.  Our Business Shares model also enables us to engage corporate partners in a new level, introducing community service and our mission possibly for the first time to employees.  We are able to reach out to more schools, community centers, and worthy organizations in need all over the city that we aren’t otherwise able to serve through our ongoing programs or annual events alone.

Integrating our experienced Chicago Cares PSMs into leadership for this program was the Service Events Department’s proudest accomplishment for the fall of 2009. Your leadership made it possible for us to grow in this way and make an impact all over our city. This coming fall will be filled with opportunities to take part in this incredible process. We’ll be partnering with the Chicago White Sox on September 11, continuing our long-term partnership with Medline on October 2, and hosting several projects as a part of Kraft’s National Make a Delicious Difference Week, October 4 - 9. Chicago Cares continues to build new partnerships so we need the continued support of our experienced leaders. If you are interested in leading a project, please check the Leader Calendar for projects titled “Business Shares” and email esutton@chicagocares.org to sign up.

Leaders, thank you so much for all of your help. We’re looking forward to another incredible season of service with you this fall.

September Leader Spotlight: Christine Pellini

Completing service hours had been requirement for Christine in high school and it wasn’t until after participating in the Chicago Cares Serve-a-thon that she realized how much fun and purpose-filled volunteering could be. “Volunteering makes me appreciate what I have and gives me the opportunity to meet new people,” says Christine. She now volunteers with Chicago Cares and the Susan G Koman Breast Cancer 3-day regularly.

Christine particularly enjoys leading one-time large scale projects through the Business Shares program. “It’s amazing to see the amount of work that can get done in a single day if you just have people to do it.” She likes the ease and organization of Chicago Cares’ projects, “It’s easy to search online to find the perfect opportunity,” she says.  “It lets me do something I love without having to do a ton of work to prepare for it.”

Christine also enjoys projects that get children from the school community involved; it’s a powerful experience to see the corporate volunteers and youth work together towards a common purpose and goal.  One of her favorite moments was at a Business Shares project in her home town of Melrose Park, watching volunteers mentor and guide students in their work. The excitement of the youth and the dedication of the volunteers are what keep her coming back to lead time and time again.  She hopes that the kids at her projects will grow to love volunteering and act on service like she does.

“It is not hard to be inspired to continue to volunteer after seeing children’s reactions when they see a newly painted mural in their lunchroom or see the look on their face when they realize that those people are there to work on their school because they care, not because someone is paying them.”

~Christine Pellini

Thank you, Christine, for all that you do with Chicago Cares Business Shares! You are a true inspiration to children, volunteers, leaders, and the Chicago Cares staff!

Expand Your Experience

Ever wonder what other leaders are doing? Are you an environmental program leader with a secret desire to lead a children’s program? Do you want to learn more about neighborhoods and issue areas? If you’re looking for ways to expand your leadership experience with Chicago Cares, look no further!

SEASONAL Trainings

Fall is an exciting time for the children’s education and development department of Chicago Cares. With 18 project sites and many new programs, new curriculum, and planned special events, now is the time to take another look at Children’s Education. A seasonal training is being offered to ANY leader that would like to learn more about the Children’s Education and Development department and what it means to be a leader for children’s programs. Please refer to our leader calendar for dates and details.

LEARN Something NEW

The University of Chicago’s Urban Education Institute is offering free open forum and public discussion sessions on a variety of topics including education, poverty, and community engagement. These are available to any and all Chicago Cares leaders. Visit the link above for more information and sign up for these educational opportunities.

Chicago Cares strives to provide quality, engaging opportunities for you to grow as a leader in your service work. These are just a few ways to expand your experience at Chicago Cares. If you would like more information on available trainings, educational opportunities, or others way to lead at Chicago Cares, contact Regan Bertke at rbertke@chicagocares.org.

AmeriCorps Journal: Erik Rosen

Hello. My name is Erik Rosen and I’m an AmeriCorps National Direct member working within Chicago Cares’ Youth in Service program.

As a Youth in Service member, I design and manage meaningful service projects for youth volunteers ages 8-18. The projects, meant to adhere to the model of service learning, challenge the students to step outside of their comfort zones in order to address a pressing need within their community or in those foreign to them.

Through my service with Chicago Cares, I’ve developed tremendous relationships with various community partners throughout the city. From passionate resident service coordinators at low-income senior housing buildings to a wonderfully dedicated volunteer director at a west side youth center, I’ve worked alongside individuals who have the utmost care and respect for those they serve and for the communities in which they live.

Either through purchasing project supplies, conducting a site visit or leading a project, my service has introduced me to areas of the city that I might otherwise never understand or venture to. In communities plagued by gang violence,  drug activity and insurmountable poverty, there are courageous citizens who everyday work to improve the lives of their neighbors. These individuals provide hope to crime ridden neighborhoods that so many others have given up on. These individuals inspire me to make a positive difference. 

Sometimes I’m asked if I’m ever apprehensive about visiting these under resourced communities. My response is always the same: “This is where people live.” 

Although this past year has been filled with an array of life-long learning experiences, my most rewarding and fulfilling moments came this summer when I worked with three schools participating in the Summer of Service and Learning program. For four weeks, students studied social issues concerning the environment, aging, poverty and homelessness. As part of their service learning experience, the students would participate in a volunteer project that focused specifically on that week’s issue area. My role consisted of designing and managing these service projects and activities. While removing invasive species overcrowding a local park to preparing and serving a hot breakfast to senior citizens, I was blown away by the overall dedication and teamwork of the students who for the most part just recently made introductions. Witnessing young people grow not only as individuals but as a group is a truly remarkable sight.

Crowe Horwath & Chicago Cares: Making a Difference for CPS

Crowe Horwath LLP has been a Chicago Cares Serve-a-thon sponsor since 2006, helping make many school renovations a reality. Chris Wagner was one of sixty-six Crowe Horwath LLP employees to join us this June at the 17th Annual Serve-a-thon, painting and building at R.H. Lawrence Jr School for Mathematics and Science. His recap of his volunteer experience can be found here, on the Crowe Horwath Blog. Many thanks to Chris and the Crowe Horwath team for allowing us to share it with you.
 

Over the summer, my fellow Crowe Horwath volunteers and I boarded a train bound for downtown Chicago to participate in the 17th Annual Chicago Cares Serve-a-thon.  Little did I know how gratifying this experience would be!  We were in for an adventure filled with a lot of hard work and a little bit of compassion.  The event began at Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears, with an inspiring kickoff emceed by my friend Gaynor Hall, a WGN/CLTV reporter, and words of wisdom from Governor Quinn and Chicago Public Schools CEO Ron Huberman.  From there, “Team Crowe” hopped on a bus and traveled to the far south side of Chicago to begin our assignment, R.H. Lawrence Jr. School for Mathematics and Science.  The school had seen better days: walls needed painting, furniture was ancient and time-worn (a bookshelf in the teacher’s lounge dated back to 1954), and landscaping was sparse on the school grounds.  We could see our sweat and TLC were needed and would go a long way in sprucing up the inner city school.  Fresh coats of paint in classrooms and hallways, hand painted murals in common areas, and hand crafted benches and planters on the school grounds gave the building a fresh look and a landscape for the imaginations of the students who attend the school.  Our mission was a huge success and the look of appreciation on the school principal’s face made it all the more worthwhile.  The day was such a rewarding experience that we’ve already committed to participating in next year’s event!


The opportunities for activities and events such as the Chicago Cares Serve-a-thon that are available to me while working at Crowe have given me great sense of accomplishment and pride in my firm. What experiences have you had that make you proud to work for your company?

To view more photos of this event, click here.