Planting Seeds of Change

The front door creaks open as the late afternoon sun spills into a small apartment on Chicago’s West Side. Backpacks hit the floor. A child’s voice breaks the silence, “Mom, I’m hungry.” The mother pauses, scanning the kitchen, which is bare, with only a few canned goods and no fresh produce in sight. She wants to offer something nourishing to fuel her child’s growing body and mind. But tonight, like many other nights, she isn’t sure what to do.  

In households across Chicago, a similar scene plays out repeatedly, reflecting systemic underinvestment in communities where access to healthy, fresh food is limited. According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, one in four Illinoisans faces food access challenges. A healthy diet supports physical well-being by providing the nutrients our bodies need to stay healthy and fight illness. Local organizations are responding to food access challenges by creating community-based solutions.  

Dion’s Chicago Dream  

Dion’s Chicago Dream is an example of what is possible when communities come together to address systemic issues. After experiencing a range of personal hardships, Dion Dawson felt a deep responsibility to give back to the Englewood community that raised him. This led to the creation of a nonprofit focused on health equity through healthy food access, providing fresh food to those who are experiencing food insecurity in the neighborhood.  

In just four years, the organization has impacted 900,000 families and distributed over three million pounds of produce. Through its Dream Deliveries, Dream Vault, and Dream Fridge programs, they offer multiple pathways for residents to consistently access healthy food in ways that meet their own unique needs. 

By reimagining how fresh produce is sourced, shared and delivered, Dion’s Chicago Dream is redefining healthy food access in underserved communities. 

Veggie RX Program at the Chicago Botanical Gardens 

In food-insecure areas, individuals with diet-related diseases face an even greater health risk and struggle to manage their conditions effectively. The Veggie RX program at the Chicago Botanical Gardens offers a solution by connecting patients to fresh produce by prescription and nutritional education.  

Serving Lawndale, Austin, and Belmont Cragin, VeggieRX is a cooperative initiative developed by the Chicago Botanical Gardens, Lawndale Christian Health Center, and UIC’s Chicago Partnership for Health Promotion. The produce is grown locally at the Farm on Ogden in North Lawndale and prescribed by health center partners alongside weekly cooking and nutrition lessons. With a focus on supporting SNAP/LINK-enrolled individuals, the program helps increase vegetable consumption and improve health outcomes. Over 90 percent of participants report eating more than half of their produce weekly. 

By addressing both medical and social determinants of health, VeggieRX allows participants to make lasting dietary changes, manage chronic conditions more effectively, and improve overall well-being. 

Pan de Vita (New Life Centers) 

In the heart of Little Village, families faced rising rates of homelessness, violence, and food insecurity during the height of the pandemic, making access to nutritious, affordable food more critical than ever. New Life Centers saw an opportunity to transform a vacant corner store into an opportunity for the community, a food pantry. In September of 2020, Pan de Vita Food Pantry, or Bread of Life, opened its doors to offer food and a place to restore community, dignity and health. 

Now serving over 30,000 people each week, offering fresh produce, dry goods, meat, and dairy to families across Little Village, Pan De Vita’s impact serves more than access to healthy food. By providing wraparound services like mentoring, case management, and educational resources, New Life Centers ensures that healthy food access is part of a broader goal of community health. 

New Life Center’s Pan de Vita Food Pantry is helping the community of Little Village thrive. In every box of produce, Pan de Vita proves that health begins with access, and healing begins with community. 

Through produce boxes, community fridges, or a prescription for fresh vegetables, these programs are planting seeds of change in neighborhoods that have been overlooked for far too long. By centering health and dignity, they are building a community where every family has the right to the nourishment they need to thrive. And back in that small apartment on the West Side, the mother who once faced empty shelves now opens a box of fresh kale, tomatoes, and squash, thanks to a program like Dion’s Deliveries. Her children now sit at the table, eating a meal that nourishes their growth, mind and spirit, while Mom sighs in relief.