Frequently Asked Questions

Nourishing Hope is a leading food and social service organization dedicated to building a stronger, more equitable Chicago. As one of the city’s largest and longest-serving hunger relief organizations, we provide food for today and hope for tomorrow through innovative food distribution, mental wellness counseling and job and housing assistance programs.

Nourishing Hope is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. The average retail value of each merchandise item is $15. Any amount donated above that value qualifies as a tax-deductible contribution under U.S. law.

You’ll receive an email receipt at the address provided with your donation. It will include your donation details, including the date, amount and beneficiary information. Your official tax receipt will be sent within seven business days.

Please fill out our contact form or give us a call at 773-849-7447.

Nourishing Hope gratefully accepts gifts of stock, IRA rollovers, wire or ACH transfers, and donor-advised fund contributions. To learn more, please visit our ways to give Page.

Yes! Nourishing Hope is happy to accept gifts through a Donor Advised Fund. For more information, please visit . nourishinghopechi.org/daf-funds.

Our food access programs serve neighbors whose incomes are below the government’s guidelines. We do NOT require proof of income, but you will be required to sign a form that states you meet the guidelines.

View the current monthly income guidelines by household size.

We are currently serving residents across Chicago, and we do not have service area boundaries for our food programs except Home Delivery North. The service area for our Home Delivery North program is bound by the following streets:

• North Avenue to the South
• Lakeshore Drive on the East
• Western Avenue on the West
• Bryn Mawr Street on the North

If you do not live within our area, please call the Greater Chicago Food Depository at (773) 247-3663, or visit www.chicagosfoodbank.org and click on “Find Food” to find an organization near you.

Our hours of operation vary by location. Click here to view our locations and operating hours.

Please know that we are committed to providing you with the same quantity and quality of food no matter what time you arrive, and we will never run out of food. Please, do NOT plan to arrive early. Thank you for your cooperation with this request.

If it’s your first time visiting Nourishing Hope, the most important thing is planning how you’ll bring your food home. Many neighbors bring a cart with wheels, but you’re also welcome to bring your own bags or boxes — and if you don’t have any, we can provide them.

To make your first visit faster and help us record your information accurately, please bring a piece of mail or document with your name and current address. This isn’t required, but it’s very helpful. From time to time after your first visit, we may again ask for proof of identity or address.

If you’re interested in Home Delivery service, please note there’s an application process. For details or to apply, contact us.

You must be age 16 or older to pick up food, or be accompanied by an adult.

Each household receives a generous supply of nutritious groceries — typically about 50 pounds of food for one person, or roughly a two-week supply.

Our selection changes daily, but you can usually expect a variety that may include: frozen meat or protein, fresh produce, dairy, eggs and milk, bread, canned and dry goods.

For neighbors experiencing homelessness or without access to a stove or refrigerator, we offer ready-to-eat options, such as canned items, dry goods and fresh produce.

We know that our pre-packaged food model may include items you don’t prefer. If that happens, please let a staff member or volunteer know — we’ll gladly take the item back to share with another neighbor. You’re also welcome to pass it along to someone who can use it. (Please do not leave food outside the building or in nearby parking lots, such as Walgreens at our Sheridan Market.)

Please see below for food safety information about the groceries we provide:

Our Nourishing Hope Sheridan Market (3945 N. Sheridan Rd.) is fully accessible for individuals with disabilities.

If you’re unable to come in person, you can authorize someone else to pick up your food by completing a State of Illinois “Proxy Form.” This form gives permission for another person to collect your groceries on your behalf.

If you are a caregiver picking up food for someone else, please print and have the food recipient sign the Proxy Form, then bring it with you.

You can download the form here:

Download the Proxy Form for our Sheridan Market in English

Download the Proxy Form for our Sheridan Market in Spanish

If you are unable to come to the pantry at all, you may also be eligible for our Home Delivery program.

Only street parking is available at our sites but all are easily accessible via public transportation. Clients who have a car may park in the loading zone with your flashers on while loading groceries.

Download the FAQ fact sheet here

After you register, Nourishing Hope will review your application to determine if you are eligible for the online market program. Requirements include:

• Your address must be within the City of Chicago
• Your monthly income must be within 300% of the federal poverty level for your family size.
• View the current monthly income guidelines by household size here.
• Express a need for food support

If we are not able to support you at this time, we encourage you to explore programs available through other Chicagoland organizations. View an interactive map of resources here.

There is some information we’re required to gather in order to provide you with food.

When you’re ready to sign up, please make sure you have:

• A picture of your photo ID for each member of your household
• A picture of your proof of address

You can use a picture from your phone.

During the signup process, you will also be asked for your current income, whether you receive SNAP benefits and questions about your current grocery needs.

If you don’t have a standard driver’s license, there are other forms of photo ID we can accept:

• A government-issued ID, such as a driver’s license, permit or state ID
• A Social Security card
• A Consulate Card or matricula

For Children under the age of 18, you can also use:

• Birth certificates
• Medical cards (such as insurance cards or Medicaid)
• Health records signed by a doctor

We only ever use your ID to verify that all our food is going to real people. It is never shared with any government agencies, other businesses or outside databases.

Nourishing Hope’s online market is only available for Chicago residents. The proof of address is used to verify that you live within the City limits.

You can use:

• A piece of mail from an official organization, like your bank
• A recent utility bill
• A copy of your lease

Your ID does not count as legal proof of address. We need to have a separate document to complete verification.

You can place orders through Nourishing Hope’s online market once per month.

Yes. Any information you provide to Nourishing Hope is completely confidential. We do not ever share it with any outside organizations, businesses or databases - including government agencies.

When you are ready to place an order, you will be asked which location you would like to pick up food from. Different locations have pick-ups on different dates, so pick the time and place that works best for you.

These locations are currently available for general sign-up:

Learn about partner pick-up locations here.

If your pickup date no longer works for you, please cancel your order and place a new order for a location and date that works for you.

It’s important to us that we’re supplying our communities with as much food as possible and that nothing goes to waste. If you miss three pickups in a six month period, your account will be placed on pause for 60 days. After 60 days you will be able to order again.

Three no-shows within six month can result in a hold being placed on your account, and more than that can result in a permanent suspension of online market services.

If you’re not able to make it to a pick-up, please cancel your order at least 24 hours beforehand. If you cancel your order on the pick-up day, it will count as a no-show. Three no-shows within six month can result in a hold being placed on your account, and more than that can result in a permanent suspension of online market services.

If you need to change your email or phone number, please call (773) 525-1777, ext #250, or contact us, and we will change it in the system for you.

Please let us know as soon as possible if this happens! We may be sending alerts to your old accounts.

If you have changes in your household, please call (773) 525-1777, ext #250, or contact us. We can update list of household members for you.

Please let us know if this happens! This helps us make sure you’re getting enough food with each order.

Yes! The amount of food you recieve is based on your household size. The maximum order size will automatically update based on the number of people in the household.

If you have changes in your household size, please call (773) 525-1777, ext #250, or contact us. We can update list of household members for you.

We strongly suggest that you set up one account for the household, rather than separate accounts. Your quantities will be based on the household size, so you will still receive the amount of food you need.

Registering multiple household with the same address could delay eligibility confirmation.

If you have a new address, please call (773) 525-1777, ext #250, or contact us. We can only provide online orders for residents of Chicago. If you do move outside the City limits, we can help connect you to resources in your new area.

Click here to view an interactive map of other resources.

All volunteering must be scheduled in advance.

We have a few different volunteer opportunities for children under the age of 18. Please click here to view specific details for each age group. We also schedule students for community service hours. Student groups may be scheduled on a case-by-case basis depending on availability and need. Please review our youth guidelines or contact us to get scheduled.

We would be happy to host your organization at Nourishing Hope! We have group volunteer opportunities Monday - Saturday for groups of all sizes. Register your group here

All volunteers should wear clothing that is comfortable and can potentially get messy. We also require all volunteers to wear closed-toed shoes for safety. Please also refrain from any offensive writing on your clothing.

All volunteers are also welcome to a free Nourishing Hope t-shirt, so please feel free to ask a staff member about them.

Volunteers are not required to bring any materials with them, but we do provide lockers to secure any personal belongings. If you would like to bring a snack, there is also a refrigerator at each location.

Only street parking is available at of our sites but all are easily accessible via public transportation.

Nourishing Hope welcomes volunteers that need to fulful volunteer service hours for church, school or court. Nourishing Hope’s Community Service Policy will be addressed at every new volunteer training session. Please come prepared at this initial training with any paperwork requiring a signature or date. We cannot guarantee availability for community service hours.

Please be sure to track your own hours. The Manager of Volunteers will provide a verification once all hours are completed. Minors seeking mandated volunteer service hours are welcome to participate with parent or guardian supervision.

For volunteers seeking court-ordered service hours, please note that we do not schedule volunteers that have committed a violent crime, harassment or theft of any kind. Before your first day, we will need documentation of your charge to put on file. Each case is subject to the discretion of the Manager of Volunteers as to whether you will be scheduled.

Please register here if you are interested in fulfilling your community service hours with us.

If you are a client, please know that we do not expect anything in return – but you are more than welcome to volunteer if you’d like. We ask that you do not schedule a volunteer shift at the same time you come for services.

If you need food assistance, anyone who meets our criteria is more than welcome – but please come during a time that you’re not on a volunteer shift. If you’d rather go to another organization for help, just ask staff for a confidential referral, or call the Greater Chicago Food Depository at (773) 247-3663, or click here.