Tote With Wheels

Hello, My name is Sytira Richardson.  I am a volunteer at one of our local community food pantries in Chicago.  I've been doing this for about 3 years now and truly enjoy it!!...I look forward to it every Tuesday, which is when we distribute food to two of our zip code areas.  



Here below are some statistics given by The GCFD regarding hunger in America.

UNDERSTANDING HUNGER
The quadrennial Hunger in America study provides detailed information about who is in need in Cook County, the circumstances those individuals face and the Greater Chicago Food Depository's response to hunger.

Here are a few key takeaways from Hunger in America 2014:
Every year, 1 in 6 of our neighbors (812,100) receives food from one of the Food Depository’s member agency grocery or meal programs.
The Food Depository serves more than 232,100 households annually.
68 % of programs reported an increase in volume of clients over the last 12 months.
69 % of client households have incomes that fall at or below the federal poverty level. 54 percent of client households have annual incomes of $10,000 or less.
58 % of households served through the Food Depository network are currently receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

Here’s a look at the difficult choices clients are making:  
62 % of clients chose between paying for food and paying medical bills.
73 % of clients chose between paying for food and paying their utility bills.
59 % of clients chose between paying for food and paying their rent or mortgage.
67 % of clients chose between paying for food and paying for transportation.
38 % of clients chose between paying for food and paying for education.
Read more from Hunger in America 2014.
http://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/site/PageServer?pagename=HungerinAmerica2014

As one of the many agency members of The GCFD, we serve each client 3-4 bags of groceries each week and they are usually rather heavy.  Each client is allowed to visit the pantry once a month; some receive link (Food Stamps) and quite a few do not; and the ones that do receive link, it's really not enough to do any real grocery shopping. Our bags of groceries consist of can goods, produce, and meat.

I believe that giving out shopping bags on wheels, something that is sturdy, weather proof, and with sturdy wheels (and wheels that are designed to go upstairs) would make their lives a little easier, especially for some of our senior clients who are either walking with physical challenges and others who travel some distance to the pantry and back home with their bags of groceries, and for those that may travel on public transportation.

It is my desire to raise this amount in 30 days or less because it may take about 3-4 weeks for delivery of the shopping bags.



My goal to start is to give out 1000 Shopping Totes On Wheels.  I will purchase them at wholesale prices.  Our pantry which is an agency for The Greater Chicago Food Depository requires us to do an outreach to let people know we exist; at the moment I give out flyers and will add the pantry name on the shopping bags on wheels to help spread the word, so this is a 2-fold mission.

I thank you soooo much for whatever amount you are led in your heart to give!