Nourishing Hope as a verb: ‘There is a future’
by Sophie Zinder
July 29, 2025
For One Dedicated Volunteer At Nourishing Hope, Volunteering Is More Than Simply Handing Out Groceries
It’s Treating Our Neighbors With Respect And Restoring Dignity To Their Lives
Czarnecki focuses on packing bags of diapers for distribution at sheridan market.
On a recent summer afternoon, Lynelle Czarnecki worked the Sheridan Market distribution shift. She’s been volunteering with Nourishing Hope for over a year, but her work with food justice began much earlier.
“My mother ran a food pantry out of our basement,” Czarnecki shared.
Czarnecki was one of dozens of volunteers at Sheridan Market that day. Senior Manager of Pantry Programs Angela Cimarusti-Clifford explained, “We have roughly 40 volunteers a day: two shifts for each distribution, and each shift has about 20 volunteers. In addition to distributing food, unpacking trucks, and re-stocking shelves, volunteers greet neighbors and check them in at each Nourishing Hope distribution.
Sheridan Market, located just steps from the Red Line stop of the same name, serves as more than a place to pick up emergency food services.
“There’s something that a lot of our neighbors like about actually coming into the pantry — I think there’s a sense of community,” Cimarusti-Clifford added. “Some volunteers and neighbors almost have a friendship.”
Bilingual Case Manager Nate Marquez helps neighbors with social services in both Spanish and English.
On this particular day, Sheridan Market served 418 people from 223 households. In a traditional month, Sheridan Market serves around 4,000 households, according to Cimarusti-Clifford.
For thousands of volunteers like Czarnecki, Nourishing Hope is more than just a name — it’s a verb. It’s an action we take when we care for one another. While sorting donated diapers into bags by size, Czarnecki reflected on the fact that food insecurity is often the foundation of other challenges, such as physical injuries and struggles with mental health. As a retired therapist, Czarnecki approaches neighbors with empathy and understanding when volunteering at Nourishing Hope.
If You Think Of The Word ‘hope,’ It Helps People Have A More Positive Mindset
Volunteer Louie Herrera (left) poses outside Sheridan Market with Nourishing Hope neighbor (right).
In fiscal year 2025, Nourishing Hope provided 7,040 social services, including assistance with employment, housing, and utilities. This number includes more than 3,400 free, trauma-informed mental health counseling sessions.
The community aspect is something Cimarusti-Clifford emphasized as central to Nourishing Hope’s mission. “Building these relationships with our volunteers, our neighbors, and between volunteers and neighbors, is crucial,” she said.
Nourishing Hope envisions a city where all people have the resources needed for a dignified life. To look toward the future, a person needs hope.
“If you think of the word ‘hope,’” Czarnecki said, “it helps people have a more positive mindset. There is a future for them.”
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“You know how when we think about healthcare, we look at things as wellness? I see this as an organization that focuses on wellness,” Czarnecki said. “They are focusing on the essential things like food, but they are also focusing on mental health, focusing on dignity and respect.”