CHICAGO — As inflation continues to push prices skyward, many families are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. In response, a heartwarming community initiative is taking shape on Chicago’s Southwest Side, aiming to ensure no one goes without the essentials.

In this neighborhood, volunteers are stepping up, collecting food, and personally delivering it to those who are most in need. This grassroots effort is centered around a local restaurant, where the recipe for success is a community coming together for a common cause.

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On Saturday evening, an enthusiastic team of volunteers gathered to pack grocery bags filled with food and other necessities, generously donated by local small businesses. These businesses are committed to helping families keep their tables full in challenging times.

Eddie Guillen, associated with the Community Innovation Center’s Midway Delivery Program, shared, “We have over 1,000 people registered who are unable to secure groceries and are in need of assistance. Thankfully, we have an incredible group of volunteers, including delivery drivers and administrative support, who are working together to connect drivers with routes.”

This operation is based at El Pollo Cris Cris Mexican restaurant on South Pulaski Avenue in West Lawn. It was conceived by the restaurant’s owner, Rudy Luna, alongside four initial donors. Since its inception, the initiative has garnered support from over 50 additional small businesses, all eager to contribute to this vital cause.

The effort is housed in the El Pollo Cris Cris Mexican restaurant on South Pulaski Avenue in West Lawn, and it is the brainchild of owner Rudy Luna, who started the program with four other donors. Since then, more than 50 other small businesses have stepped up to help.

“So we’re inviting small business owners to join us or start themselves anywhere,” Luna said. “They are helping their community, their clients. We want to give back to our customers.”

Organizers say they are only accepting donations of food and essentials and always need more items to meet the growing number of requests for help.

“Each bag is based on whatever the donors because we have multiple donors,” head volunteer Artemiza “Tammy” Chavez said. “As you can see, they have eggs, juice, oil, bread, toiletries, such as toothpaste, and soap, laundry detergent, rice beans, potatoes.”

The volunteers said these are difficult economic and political times. Nearly 2 million Illinoisans could lose their SNAP food assistance benefits Nov. 1, ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, if the federal government remains shut down.

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