Chicago food pantry continues march against hunger

Corwin Marbly, Sr. supervises the setup of the St. Matthew Child Advocate food pantry.

Standing tall and smiling at 90 years old, Corwin Marbly has seen a lot of change in his lifetime. However, there is one thing that Corwin has not seen change in his many years: the need for food assistance in his community.

A longtime resident of Chicago’s Near North Side, Corwin has been active in the fight against hunger for more than 30 years, coordinating the St. Matthew Child Advocate food pantry and participating in every Hunger Walk since the event first began in 1986.

The Hunger Walk is an annual 5K along the lakefront that benefits local food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters. The funds agencies raise at the Hunger Walk help them operate throughout the year. Corwin and the St. Matthew Child Advocate food pantry rely on their fundraising efforts from the Hunger Walk to serve a changing need in the community.

“Hunger Walk was a lifesaver. The money we raised helped us get through the year,” Corwin recalled about his food pantry’s annual attendance at the event.

Corwin helped to establish the food pantry in 1973, and he continues to run the program every week after more than 40 years.

“Within six months [of opening], we had people coming in like crazy,” Corwin recalled while supervising the food pantry setup early one Tuesday morning.

Despite the drastic change throughout the Near North Side in recent years, the St. Matthew Child Advocate food pantry continues to serve a high level of need in the community today, serving approximately 215 families per month. The food insecurity rate in the neighborhood is nearly 15 percent, which means that 15 percent of residents do not know when or from where their next meal will come.

“This church here is a symbol to the people in need,” Corwin said when asked how the food pantry continues to provide a vital service to local residents each week.

Even in retirement, Corwin remains passionate and determined to end hunger in his community. This motivation is why he and a team of volunteers from St. Matthew Child Advocate still participate in Hunger Walk every year and continue to operate their food pantry every Tuesday morning.

Register for the Hunger Walk at chicagosfoodbank.org/hungerwalk.

Hunger Walk draws record crowd

Saturday, June 25, was a beautiful day for a walk in the park. More than 9,400 people--an event record--joined the Greater Chicago Food Depository for the 26th Annual Hunger Walk at Soldier Field. The Hunger Walk is the Food Depository's largest event of the year and the largest anti-hunger rally in Chicago. Funds raised from the walk benefit the 650 pantries, soup kitchens and shelters that are members of the Food Depository. Thank you to everyone who made the walk possible--from agencies to staff to volunteers. Your efforts will put food on the table for individuals and families in Cook County.

Why are you committed to ending hunger?

The Greater Chicago Food Depository is launching the “I am rallying to end hunger because…” project at the 26th annual Hunger Walk tomorrow at Soldier Field. This annual 5K (3.1 miles) directly benefits the Food Depository's network of 650 pantries, soup kitchens and shelters in Cook County that help hundreds of thousands of people put food on their table. It's also an opportunity to take a stand in the fight against hunger.

We want to know what motivates you to join the fight against hunger. If you could send just one message about this issue to elected officials and other decision-makers in our state, what would it be? The “I am rallying to end hunger because…” project seeks to capture the many voices of anti-hunger advocates like you across Cook County.

Here are the details of the project and how you can get involved:

1. Attend the Hunger Walk on Saturday – registration is available the morning of the walk beginning at 7 a.m. Step off is at 8:15 a.m.

2. Watch for volunteers with the “I AM RALLYING TO END HUNGER BECAUSE…” sign.

3. Answer the question: Why are you rallying to end hunger?

4. On the back of your message, sign a letter that will be sent to your elected officials, urging them to protect key nutrition safety net programs in the budget and Farm Bill.

5. Say cheese! Get your picture taken while holding up your message.

6. Enjoy the walk!

Stay tuned to the Food Depository's Advocacy Center to see pictures and video from this year’s event. Let's send a strong message that ending hunger in our communities should be a top priority!