Greenheart International helps to serve the Chicago Community!

Greenheart International partnered with Nourishing Hope this past Monday to help serve the community of Humboldt Park, Chicago.

In the hours the Greenheart team spent together volunteering, they received such wonderful guidance from the Nourishing Hope team and were able to help provide groceries for 251 individuals.

With 4 locations in the Chicagoland area, Nourishing Hope has served more than 21,000 families every year, providing the equivalent of 4.5 million meals throughout the city. With more than 93% of their food being from donations, they offer fresh fruits, flowers, vegetables, meat and dairy, and other groceries. The staff mentioned that without the help of more than 6,000 volunteers, Nourishing Hope would not be where they are today and continues to open their doors to anyone curious about becoming a future volunteer.

Aside from meals, Nourishing Hope also provides mental health wellness with licensed and trained professionals to those in nee. Their guidance specifically helps with depression, anxiety, grief, or other stressors and have no insurance requirements. Alongside mental wellness, they also provide social services to help create and maintain a healthy and stable life.  

Les Antonio Sena Lopez, Senior Manager of Program Support at Greenheart, shared that “Learning from the incredible staff, volunteers, and neighbors at Nourishing Hope was such a valuable and positive experience for me. It was a pleasure to be welcomed by the community.” Lopez mentioned that he hopes to continue to provide mutual aid and community service, alongside one of the many locations Nourishing Hope offers to the community.

Alongside its staff, one of Greenheart’s Ambassador scholars joined us on her day off from her Work and Travel program at the Shedd Aquarium to give back to her Chicago host community. Traveling all the way from Greece, Marianna Fanourgiaki said that “volunteering for Nourishing Hope alongside the Greenheart team has been one of the highlights of my trip.” She goes on to say “This experience was truly interesting and eye-opening. I loved the way everyone seemed so passionate about this project and how much respect they had, both inside the team and for their neighbors. Things like that actually restore my faith in humanity, I’m grateful I got to be a part of it.”

Greenheart International facilitates cultural exchange programs for students and adults to work or study in the USA or abroad. Our mission of connecting people and planet to create global leaders drives all that we do at Greenheart Exchange (programs in the USA) and Greenheart Travel (programs outside the USA).

We are the first exchange sponsor to support and encourage all their participants, employees, and stakeholders to take the time to give back to their communities. We hope to envision a world where communities come together to create a more peaceful and sustainable future for all, truly bringing the people and planet together through volunteer service. Whether it is helping humanitarian organizations, cultural centers, soup kitchens, shelters, or park clean-ups, volunteering can make a lifelong impact and help create a better future for all who are involved.

To learn more about Greenheart International volunteer involvement, please click here.

If you or a loved one is in need of assistance in the Chicagoland area, please click here to learn more about the resources that are provided by Nourishing Hope.