Greater Chicago Food Depository

Chicago deserves better than a PR-driven institution sitting on Wall Street-size reserves. Do your research! They look impressive,have shiny signs,big marketing,emotional ads.But their financials tell a different story. They operate like a corporation, not a food charity. Over $70 million is sitting in investments and endowments while people go hungry,they have 10 highly paid executives with better retirement plans than most people volunteering or donating, an excessive chunk of donations go to salaries, bonuses,benefits, consultants, and fundraising, NOT FOOD! Want actual context? Compare them to other major food banks: Houston Food Bank: 96–97% program spending, extremely low fundraising costs, massive food volume distribution. LA Regional Food Bank: 97–98% program spending, 110 million pounds of food distributed. Greater Chicago Food Depository: 92% on paper, but only about $56M is spent on FOOD of the $283M revenue each year. They have extremely low distribution! The branding is polished. The hunger relief? Not nearly as strong as people assume. If you donate, read their audit first and compare them to better performing food banks. They do a good job of developing a workforce, which is admirable, but they are a food bank, not a workforce development agency, that should be part of their massive marketing budget.

Really nice people. Showed up at 11 am for 1 pm delivery. Broker sent us rate con with delivery at 1 pm. They close at 1 pm. Our original appointment was 7 am. They still unload me rightaway. Thank you

This place is AMAZING. Talk about an organized organization! My church group has been coming every few months & they really do things so smoothly here! It’s super easy for first-timers, & they really help you notice the difference you are making as an individual volunteer. Luis was in charge last time we went, & he’s great. We all had lots of fun, & 3 hours went by too quickly!

I am really glad I had the chance to volunteer at the Greater Chicago Food Depository. It is unbelievable the size and organization of the complex. People need help and without a doubt I'll come back many more times to assist the best way I can.

From Volunteering to touring the facility the GCFD is a great place to gather information and learn from. Lots of kind people to help you with any project that you may have. A great place to volunteer.

After reading some of these reviews I can confidently say that the only people really loving this place are volunteers, not the patrons. And why does the CEO make 400,000 k+ a year? Maybe some of that could go to feed more people and have organizational leadership.

This place runs like an well-timed engine by volunteers! What a way to spend few hours helping out our larger community by packaging some dry foods for non profit organizations to collect for those in need. Highly recommend folks trying to give few hours of service here for a great cause!

More of a PR partnership concept than an actual program meant to address food scarcity issues. As a client of a food program, I was left with little to no food while programs blasted their social media pages with propaganda images telling companies that partnering with them would improve their image. They also market themselves to volunteers seeking that feeling of weekend warriorism, and to those needing to meet volunteer requirements for schools and various programs. My fridge and cupboards are completely bare. As a disabled person without food stamps and medical bills piling up, I think what they're doing is atrocious. While they push images of grocery bags bursting at the seams with fresh produce and clean food, I usually get a few rotten items, expired frozen meat, a few cans of dollar store beans, white rice I can't eat because I'm diabetic and moldy bread. Calling and messaging the Greater Chicago Food Repo doesn't help because they too are mostly concerned with partnering for PR purposes; their contact page has the subject-selector that is 99% dedicated to PR and Business related subjects. Even the reviews here on Google Reviews and Yelp are mostly fluff from volunteers and not clients. That's review manipulation and corruption in my eyes. Additionally, if a pantry stiffs a client, that's if for that month because the Food Repo has strict guidelines about only seeing one place a month. The Repo also is known to turn a blind eye to pantries knowingly keeping the fresh produce for the staff and volunteers. It's a sad state where only the "volunteers" and "workers" have positive things to say because they're the only ones benefiting from this program. The rich are eating the poor. They do not care. The poor are a commodity being used for PR purposes. They would pose with our corpses and empty cupboards if they thought they could still market it. Some of us clients have factually have never once received a "months supply of groceries" as marketed, while we sign all sorts of contracts up and down. But I have seen with my own eyes volunteers and workers move multiple months-worth of fresh produce and boxes of food, after service hours, out the backdoor and into their expensive SUVs after the service day. I overhear the same pep-talk they give each other each time at different pantries: "otherwise it'll go to waste!". Again: my fridge and cupboards are completely bare. The Greater Chicago Food Depository staff have called me to tell me they don't believe me, they don't care, they will NEVER investigate and they won't even visit my home. They're soulless. They even removed their public email for clients (PR contact is still available, go figure) and instead have implemented an online form which seems to indicate they don't want to leave a paper trail that could leave them open to accountability (so if you're a client screenshot before you click submit). Edit: Added are some photos showing some rotten produce they gave me, along with a sheeting showing the delivery was on the 7th but the meat was already expired on the 5th. I have serious health conditions including heart failure and diabetes and I can't play around with expired food.

My job gave us a day off to come and volunteer @ The GCFD. This was a great opportunity to support and help out those in needs. Everyone was friendly, helpful and productive. We all worked hard as a team to accomplish our goal of feeding over 2,700 families. This place is outstanding. Very clean and organized. I enjoyed lending my time for such an amazing and precious organization. I look forward to volunteering here again.

I was invited to volunteer for a team outing at this facility and I was surprised how beautiful this facility is exterior and internally. Plenty of parking and there is only one stall for EV charging. Inside you are greeted and checking-in is easy. They have you gather inside a locker area where you will have to put in small lockers your personal items before you get dressed appropriately. I was dressed in a plastic apron and gloves for onion packaging. This was a very fun event to help out. I would come back to volunteer again.

More of a PR partnership concept than an actual program meant to address food scarcity issues. As a client of a food program, I was left with little to no food while programs blasted their social media pages with propaganda images telling companies that partnering with them would improve their image. They also market themselves to volunteers seeking that feeling of weekend warriorism, and to those needing to meet volunteer requirements for schools and various programs. My fridge and cupboards are completely bare. As a disabled person without food stamps and medical bills piling up, I think what they're doing is atrocious. While they push images of grocery bags bursting at the seams with fresh produce and clean food, I usually get a few rotten items, expired frozen meat, a few cans of dollar store beans, white rice I can't eat because I'm diabetic and moldy bread. Calling and messaging the Greater Chicago Food Repo doesn't help because they too are mostly concerned with partnering for PR purposes; their contact page has the subject-selector that is 99% dedicated to PR and Business related subjects. Even the reviews here on Google Reviews and Yelp are mostly fluff from volunteers and not clients. That's review manipulation and corruption in my eyes. Additionally, if a pantry stiffs a client, that's if for that month because the Food Repo has strict guidelines about only seeing one place a month. The Repo also is known to turn a blind eye to pantries knowingly keeping the fresh produce for the staff and volunteers. It's a sad state where only the "volunteers" and "workers" have positive things to say because they're the only ones benefiting from this program. The rich are eating the poor. They do not care. The poor are a commodity being used for PR purposes. They would pose with our corpses and empty cupboards if they thought they could still market it. Some of us clients have factually have never once received a "months supply of groceries" as marketed, while we sign all sorts of contracts up and down. But I have seen with my own eyes volunteers and workers move multiple months-worth of fresh produce and boxes of food, after service hours, out the backdoor and into their expensive SUVs after the service day. I overhear the same pep-talk they give each other each time at different pantries: "otherwise it'll go to waste!". Again: my fridge and cupboards are completely bare. The Greater Chicago Food Depository staff have called me to tell me they don't believe me, they don't care, they will NEVER investigate and they won't even visit my home. They're soulless. They even removed their public email for clients (PR contact is still available, go figure) and instead have implemented an online form which seems to indicate they don't want to leave a paper trail that could leave them open to accountability (so if you're a client screenshot before you click submit). Edit: Added are some photos showing some rotten produce they gave me, along with a sheeting showing the delivery was on the 7th but the meat was already expired on the 5th. I have serious health conditions including heart failure and diabetes and I can't play around with expired food.

I have been an occasional donor here, but when the pandemic hit, and my church no longer offered the community Pancake Breakfast, so I thought I'd do volunteer work to 'compensate'. I have no experience with them as relating to food pantries, as I am still lucky enough to be working. (I feel for you 'CT S'.) Good idea! It's such a welcoming spot, lots of good energy, and 2 hour shifts of HARD work! But they are patient and can adjust to your abilities. Most of the signups are Repacks, where you break down donations into smaller loads. Masks are required on your end, and they have plenty of hand sanitizer, soap/water, and gloves. The social distancing is tricky depending on what you do, but they encourage you to request distance when possible. Shifts are open in the mornings and afternoons, but not on Sunday or Monday. Please check the website for availability, and a login is required to sign up. I suppose to keep track of who/what/when/where is around. Also in case you are volunteering for required community service, or a student needing hours, etc. They do have age limits and dress codes (no sandals, shorts or tank tops)so please check before you go. They provide safe clothing if you arrive without proper gear. Please consider signing up as the need for pantries has increased by at least 400% in the last few months!

Ended up being here as part of a Yelp event . The staff was very helpful and organized. They made a pretty labor intensive project fun and it was informative. The facility is very clean and coming from a pharmaceutical background, I appreciated the fact that they required everyone to wash their hands and gown up before handling the food and making the mesh bags to place the food product into. I loved the red hair net and want those for my job :-)

The Greater Chicago Food Depository makes it easy to volunteer your time for a good cause. You have to sign up online before coming here, but once you get here, it's straightforward. Just sign in, wait in the waiting room, and someone will say their introductions, brief you on what you'll be doing, and then it's off to your activity. For my group, we had to repack sweet potatoes. We broke up into a few different groups to divvy up the tasks. It was about two and a half hours of work on a Wednesday evening, and it was very clear what needed to be done. So glad that they have a parking lot, and the facilities are clean. The staff was helpful, nice, and got us new volunteers as well as some returning ones firing on all cylinders. Glad to see that there's an organization like this serving Cook County. Hope more Yelpers give back by volunteering their time to a place that carries out work like this for those less fortunate.

Great place to go to Volunteer!!! I took 25 college students and they had an AMAZING time giving back. The staff was professional and very organized. They were efficient and knew how to handle a good group. They are taking safety measures very serious with volunteers working around food. They only thing that was difficult is using the site signing up so many students... It could be a tad easier for individuals to sign up... Overall, a great experience!

How does this company nonprofit claim that there to help people and then end up giving diapers still packaged to a second hand to make a profit from when there are people out there that need them

1 - Food bank serving 600 Cook County agencies, shelters, soup kitchens and food pantries 3 - Hours of a Saturday afternoon spent with 7 other Yelpers 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.

Really had a great time at the Greater Food Depository. The pulsating music was very nice and really get you pumped up we worked various assembly lines in our Teams million meals initiative. Our commercial real estate group showed up with about 20 people to volunteer and give back. Today's project was produce. We had a great time and I'd advise your group to stop by and give a few hours to this worthy cause.

This place is amazing , clean and in a safe part of the city . What they do for the community is amazing . They are always in need of volunteers !

Potential volunteers please don't fool yourself. The volunteers and employees at GCFD are next to saints. Especially, the Catholics. They all work hard and have good hearts. The people who recieve the food have managers that are supposed to greet the volunteers who deliver food. Some are lazy and in a bad mood. They think they dont have to do much including opening the door to let the volunteers in. You have to knock on locked doors even though they know you are coming and then you wait. During the pandemic, some people at these places wouldn't wear masks and eventually become abusive, such as, name calling. I am a black man and it seems as though some managers who recieved the food at churches and senior citizens, were disgruntled when I showed up. So don't expect any appreciation for what you do for the people you help.

What a wonderful facility to have in Chicago to help provide food for everyone in need of it. The place is super clean, and they have very good clean practices to make sure we volunteer and provide clean and healthy foods. Volunteer is pretty easy sign up on their on-line calendar site after you sign up for an accountant to be in their system. They require a few things like a dress code, long pants to the ankles and shirts that cover the shoulder. And do not bring in any outside food into the facilities keep personal food items separate from the food we help to box up for the pantries. There are lockers available with locker keys you don't have to worry about where your belonging will be going. There is a family day volunteer job too which is done once a month? Well I say do it at least once or twice a year if your time permits feels good to do good.

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.

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 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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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." (Cliche, 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.

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.

Great people doing great work. Came here with my work to volunteer for a day and it was a wonderful time. I highly recommend doing anything you can to help this great organization out! Volunteer, get your company to volunteer, donate, etc.

How do Google and the Oscars go together? Well, they don't directly. My intent is to share two thoughts I had while watching the annual parade of overpriced and somewhat gaudy glitz and glamor walk down the red carpet. My thought was: are all those half-million dollar jewelry and tens of thousands of wardrobe necessary today? Loaned to them or not, the value actually increases depends on who wears them. Maybe I am just being entirely to altruistic given Haiti, Chile, and the millions of homeless and mentally ill Americans living on the streets or dying of hunger right now as this award ceremony is happening. Neither of which are Google's or the Academy members' fault and I know actors are "donating" time doing PSAs to help out with all the world's problems. My second thought was regarding Google. For the last several years, the top brass at the company on took a salary of $1.00. Google is one of the most profitable companies on earth, their stock remains at the $540 per share range, and their future strategy is incredibly solid. Furthermore, the top three certainly are not going to be hurting for cash. I don't think that most of the Academy members would be hurting if they followed suit and took $1 for 2010 and gave the rest to get the homeless off the street and retained to work as well as to assist with the devastation around the world. I know, altruistic right? Well, I am nowhere near the financial position they are in, but my wife and I recently gave our Land Rover Discovery to the Haiti efforts. That was our only car. So here's the math: in your mind, estimate what the top three highest-paid people at Google should be making then add to all of the sums of money our favorite actors, producers, agents, writers and all the others who could do this for one year and then apply that sum to our world today. The positive results are staggering. I don't know Sergy Brinn, Larry Page, or Eric Schmidt from Google personally, but I do know of the foundations they have set up and I applaud the productions they have done over any of tonight's honorees and would be proud to give them an Oscar.

More than a month ago I filled an application for food assistance. I work as a dog walker and after paying the rent and other bills we have very little for food. I told the outreach people that we been eating toast and butter w tea for weeks now. Despite our desperate situation, after several days and a long interview, this agency sent us a package in the mail (which takes forever). After receiving all the copies of my check stabs, drivers license and on and on. They sent me another package asking me for self-employment records. Why they did not send this from the beginning? Then one more week to send these unnecessary and tedious papers back...while we are hungry and the refrigerator is empty. Terrible service to those in need. No help at all!!!!

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

Great place to volunteer! I have done it several times. Hard work but good for the soul! Just do it!

This is a terrific organization. I used to volunteer at a local food pantry and we bought food from the Greater Chicago Food Depository to supplement the food donations we received from local churches and other groups. I often get mailings from The Greater Chicago Food Depository asking for money, however. I always respond by telling them that I cannot donate money at this time but I am willing to donate my time by volunteering. No one from the organization has been in touch with me about volunteering. I just keep receiving requests for money. Too bad.

my professor dragged the whole class here on a field trip and let me just say "thank you!!" being able to see how the depository works was educating and knowing that they truly want to help the hungry is amazing they even has a program to teach people how to cook, pre pair and just everything they would need to know to work in a restaurant. i can't wait to have time off form school to come volunteer

if your load fall down , they wont take it , if u restack pallet they saying no thats not gonna work , i suggest each any every driver delivering food please make surr pallet not fallen, they wont take your load .

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!