WEST TOWN — A West Town neighbor is organizing a Friday food pick up to benefit SocialWorks, a Garfield Park-based nonprofit.
You can drop off non-perishable food items from noon-2 p.m. Friday at Talcott Elementary School, 1840 W. Ohio St.
A sign directing drop offs will be placed at the Ohio Street stairs near the school’s playground.
Friday’s pickup is the third food drive neighbor Kayla Okarski has organized at Talcott this week. She was initially inspired by Chicago teachers who were personally delivering food to students after Chicago Public Schools temporarily ended its free meal program. The program has since resumed, but the need is greater than just CPS families.
RELATED: CPS Will Resume Giving Free Meals To Kids Tuesday
Many neighbors have been willing to donate food, Okarski said. Earlier this week she had to make two trips because the donations could not fit in her trunk and back seat.
“People want to help, they just don’t know what to do … If we create that opportunity, people seem really excited to jump on it,” she said. “It’s nice to see the neighborhood coming together during all this.”
Founded in 2016 by Chance the Rapper, SocialWorks runs programs and initiatives related to education, mental health, homelessness and performing and literary arts.
The organization is currently offering free grocery pick-ups and meals to the community and CPS students. When Okarski dropped food off Tuesday at Garfield Park Field House, SocialWorks members were grilling food and handing out non-perishable groceries and toiletries.
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