ENGLEWOOD — An Englewood native hopes to raise enough money this year to feed local families and the city’s growing migrant community for Thanksgiving.
Deonte Tanner, founder of South Side charitable organization Servants For Hope, kicked off the seventh Hunger Relief Campaign this month. The campaign is a key component in the Englewood native’s Hunger Relief Program, which aims to eradicate food insecurity in the city by providing free meals to community members.
Tanner hopes to raise $10,000 for the Annual Hunger Relief Campaign to feed 1,000 families, he said. He’s raised nearly $5,000 so far. You can donate here.
Tanner will use the proceeds to buy holiday favorites, like stuffing, macaroni and cheese, yams, ham and turkey, and create “hunger relief kits,” he said. Neighbors can sign up to receive a free hunger relief kit here.
Tanner will host the Thanksgiving grocery giveaway 10 a.m.-noon Nov. 18 at Englewood STEM High School, 6835 S. Normal Blvd.
“We share a collective responsibility to help one another,” Tanner said. “Until we eradicate hunger in our city, it’s our responsibility to lead with love and hope.”
Tanner is expanding his efforts this year to assist the city’s burgeoning migrant community, he said.
Servants For Hope, in collaboration with Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church, will host a holiday dinner for the migrant community the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Tanner said.
One woman is housing seven asylum seekers while she battles terminal cancer:
Tanner will use his $10,000 goal to first purchase groceries for the Hunger Relief Program giveaway and use the remaining money to purchase fresh food to cook in time for Wednesday’s dinner, he said.
Hopewell will “open its doors” for the free dinner to any families who visit the Englewood church at 6 p.m. Nov. 22 at 6600 S. Hermitage Ave., Tanner said. Servants For Hope is working closely with the Englewood (7th) Police District to coordinate transportation for migrant families to and from the church, he said.
Neighbors who are experienced cooks or simply want to volunteer to help serve the community and “give migrant families the same feeling that families in the city are experiencing” can email Tanner at dtanner@servantsforhope.com.
“During the holidays, a lot of families and people are often in despair and don’t have hope,” Tanner said. “We want to provide that spark. We want to let people know that we’re not only here for them, but we want to dine and commune with them.
“We want to walk their walks and share in that struggle to let them know we’re going to do this thing together. We’re going to pull you out together. We’re going to do things better together.”
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