Nourishing Hope

05/28/2026

More than $90,000 raised. Countless lives impacted.
Thank you to everyone who joined us at last week’s End Hunger Social at City Winery Chicago. Because of your generosity, thousands of Chicagoans will continue to have access to nutritious food, mental health support, and critical social services.
A special thank you to our for their extraordinary leadership and to , whose dedication, vision, and countless hours of work helped make this event possible.
Every ticket purchased, sponsorship secured, auction bid placed, and donation made helps provide Food for Today and Hope for Tomorrow.
We’re grateful to be the connection between a caring community and neighbors seeking support.

05/28/2026

Continuing series of spotlighting our incredible Mental Wellness and Social Services team members! 💚Meet Hilary, Nourishing Hope’s Manager of Social Services.

Since joining Nourishing Hope in December 2025, Hilary has helped lead our Social Services team in providing neighbors with resources, information, and compassionate support as they work toward their goals. Throughout her social work career, Hilary has supported adults experiencing homelessness in finding employment and has also developed programming and support services for older adults.

Hilary earned her undergraduate degree from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, and her Master’s in Social Work from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. Outside of work, Hilary enjoys reading, traveling, and growing mini pumpkins in her garden (usually while her two cats supervise from the window). 🐈

Thank you, Hilary, for helping create a community where every neighbor is met with dignity, support and hope!

05/27/2026

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. and at Nourishing Hope, we’re reminded that healing begins with being seen, heard, and supported.

Ash’s story is a powerful reminder that access to compassionate, high-quality mental healthcare can change lives. Through every session, every conversation, and every moment of care, our team works to create a space where neighbors feel safe, respected, and never alone.

Because nourishment is more than food. It’s caring for the whole person — body, mind, and community. 💚

05/26/2026

This , we’re continuing to celebrate the compassionate leaders behind Nourishing Hope’s mental wellness team! 💚 Today, we’re proud to spotlight Csilla Megyeri, Director of Mental Wellness and Social Services.

Since joining Nourishing Hope in 2021, Csilla has led our mental wellness and social services team with care, empathy, and dedication, helping individuals work toward their goals through counseling and case management services. With years of experience in community mental health and both clinical and leadership roles, Csilla brings a thoughtful and collaborative approach to supporting both clients and staff.

Csilla earned her undergraduate degree from Lawrence University and her master’s degree in social work from Loyola University Chicago. Outside of work, she enjoys camping, hiking, exploring national parks across the U.S., and spending time with family and friends around Chicago.

Leaders like Csilla help ensure our neighbors are met with dignity, support, and healing every step of the way. Thank you, Csilla, for helping nourish hope in our community every day!

05/21/2026

This , we’re celebrating the people on Nourishing Hope’s Mental Wellness team who provide Chicagoans with the resources they need. 💚 Today, we’re proud to spotlight Vanessa Garcia, one of our incredible bilingual clinical therapists!

Born and raised in Chicago with strong roots in their Mexican heritage, Vanessa brings deep compassion, advocacy, and community connection to their work. Before joining Nourishing Hope in 2022, Vanessa provided therapy and advocacy to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence across Chicago. Their clinical interests include trauma-informed care, somatic techniques, intergenerational healing, and supporting Chicago’s BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities.

Vanessa’s commitment to community-based care reflects what Nourishing Hope is all about: meeting neighbors where they are with dignity, respect, and compassion while helping build resilience, healing, and brighter futures.

Whether through counseling, food access, or social services, we believe nourishing hope means caring for the whole person — and team members like Vanessa help make that possible every day. ✨

05/19/2026

People are often surprised that it can be hard to find food in a city like Chicago, but for many of our neighbors, it’s a daily reality.

In fact, about 1 in 4 people in the Chicago area face food insecurity.

That’s why expanding access matters.

With support from Northern Trust, we’ve launched a new website designed to remove barriers and connect more people to food when they need it most, through:
🍉 accessible, easy-to-find tools
🥑 multilingual resources available across devices
🥬 intuitive, easy-to-navigate technology

And it’s working.

We’re already seeing strong early results, and after continued improvements, our accessibility score is now in the 90s, as measured by Google’s accessibility tools.

This is what expanding access looks like.

We’re grateful to Northern Trust Anchor Award for investing in a future where more of our neighbors can find the support they need, when they need it most. 💚

05/14/2026

We’re incredibly proud to celebrate our own for being recognized by  with the “Seeds of Partnership” award 🌱

Natia’s leadership, heart, and relentless commitment to our neighbors have helped grow Nourishing Hope’s Online Market program at an extraordinary pace, expanding access to food across deeper areas of Chicago’s South and West sides and making it easier for families to get the groceries they need with dignity and flexibility.

This recognition is so well deserved. Nat, thank you for the care, vision, and community-centered leadership you bring to this work every single day. We adore you and are so grateful to have you on the team 💚💙

05/13/2026

The 2026 Crain's Chicago Business Giving Guide is here! 🗞️‼️ Nourishing Hope is honored to be included among 35 of Chicago’s most impactful nonprofit organizations.

At Nourishing Hope, we believe access to food is the first step toward a stable, healthy life. That’s why we provide Chicago families with options to order what they need and have it delivered with dignity, respect and care. Beyond food, we support thousands of neighbors in accessing the mental wellness and social services support they need.

We can’t do this alone. We’re supported every day by the volunteers and donors who make our work possible. 🔗 Learn more about ways to give in this year’s Giving Guide: https://www.chicagobusiness.com/crains-content-studio/giving-guide/2026/ccb-nourishing-hope/

Nourishing Hope provides food, mental wellness support and social services so every Chicagoan can thrive.

05/08/2026

Behind every role at Nourishing Hope is a neighbor who needs support.
If you’re looking for work that has real, everyday impact, this is your place. 💚

Explore opportunities: nourishinghopechi.org/careers

05/07/2026

We’re proud to see our CEO, Mitzi Baum, continuing to speak up for our neighbors and raise awareness about the real impact these SNAP changes will have on families across our community. During times like these, keeping people informed, supported, and nourished matters more than ever. Thank you to Vi Nguyen and NBC Chicago for helping share this important conversation. 💚

Watch the feature here: https://youtu.be/VXfxfaRdzGk?si=DtcGYOF16uq3ljZw