One Hospital, One Cause: Nourishing Our Communities, Together
Children need a variety of nutritious foods to grow strong and healthy—but for too many families, accessing enough high-quality food is a daily struggle.
Food insecurity, which means not having consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life, is a serious public health issue. It impacts children’s physical health, emotional well-being, and development. According to the USDA, over 1 in 5 children in the U.S. face food insecurity. Here in Chicago, that number rises to 1 in 4.
The effects of food insecurity can last a lifetime, making it critical to address this challenge head-on.
How Lurie Children’s Is Making a Difference
At Lurie Children’s, we’re committed to supporting our patients and their families both inside and outside the hospital. Through the Patrick M. Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities, we’ve developed programs to promote food security in the neighborhoods we serve.
At the end of 2024, we launched a new initiative called One Hospital, One Cause, uniting employees across the institution to focus on a pressing issue that affects many of our patients and families. Our cause for 2024: tackling food insecurity and nourishing our communities.
Making an Impact: Donations, Advocacy, and Service
The Magoon Institute works closely with local community partners like Circle Urban Ministries in Austin and Iglesia Evangelica Emanuel in Belmont Cragin to support their food pantries, which provide families with nutritious food and education on healthy eating. Twice a month, Lurie Children’s employees volunteer to help distribute food to community members, making a tangible difference in the lives of hundreds of families.
During the holidays, our One Hospital, One Cause initiative collected culturally relevant food and hygiene products to support the Circle Urban Ministries Food Pantry. Thanks to the generosity of our Lurie Children’s colleagues, we donated just under 2,000 items from their food pantry wishlist! In addition, more than 25 employees also volunteered to distribute nutritious food to over 800 people in Austin and Belmont Cragin.
Outside of the food pantry support, our Lurie Children’s colleagues donated close to 300 gifts for Circle Urban Ministries annual toy drive!
“I cannot stress enough how appreciative we are to have your support that continuously goes above and beyond. By volunteering in our food pantry, you get to see first-hand the needs of the community. I'm sure it's to the point where you even remember a lot of the community members who come in month after month. You've sincerely impacted the community and our organization because we could not have operated at this level, this quickly, without the support of Lurie Children’s.”
- Miss Kim Molenda, Vice President of Programs at Circle Urban Ministries
Want to be a part of the effort?
Apply to join the Lurie Children's Community Volunteer Corps
Consider volunteering at a local food pantry
Another way Lurie Children’s is addressing food insecurity is by actively advocating for essential programs like the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). These federal programs provide crucial food and nutrition education to families in need and can be the difference between a child being fed or going hungry. Our Lurie Children’s colleagues collectively submitted over 180 letters to their legislators, a small but important part of advocacy efforts that led to a one year extension of the 2018 Farm Bill that will keep these programs funded through September 2025!
The Greater Chicago Food Depository has tools to help you learn how to advocate for important policy changes, encourage your legislators to act and receive updates about future opportunities to take action.
At Lurie Children’s, our mission goes beyond medical care—we’re dedicated to improving the health and well-being of children and families throughout Chicagoland. Addressing food insecurity is just one of the ways we’re working to build healthier, stronger communities.
Together, we can make sure every child has the nutrition they need to thrive.