The Urban Growers Collective (UGC) Provides Emergency Food Access During COVID-19 in Chicago
As of last week, they have donated over 1800 meals a week for 12 weeks partnering with organizations like ChiFresh Kitchen, a new worker-owned coop that’s run by formerly incarcerated, primarily black women.
By Christa Carter-Williams
Chicago Defender
July 10, 2020
Excerpt:
“We pivoted our programs and started an online store and emergency food distribution system,” says Erika Allen, co-founder, and CEO of operations of UGC. Not just any online ordering system but one that recirculates dollars to help those in need have fresh produce.
In a conversation with The Defender, Erika tells us that most of their customers have snap benefits. When they first started the emergency system, they could not use their snap card for online ordering, so UGC had to improvise.
“Most of us have access to a credit card or debit card to order online, but many of our customers do not. You have to be present to swipe a snap card. We decided to take the money that they would have spent and donated it to our partner sites, so we just recirculated dollars.”
UGC wanted to make sure all food was utilized, and everyone had food access, especially senior citizens, who were the most vulnerable. At the same time, they had the opportunity to fund through the community’s participation by giving those funds directly to their partner sites including Claretian Associates senior homes in South Chicago, Thresholds Rowan Trees, Thresholds South, UChicago Comprehensive Care Program, Martin Luther King Community Center, Trina Davila Community Services Center and Howard Brown Health.
