About 450 community members and students volunteered to provide essential resources to Evanston families during a food drive and distribution event at Evanston Township High School over the weekend.
This was the latest in a series of food drives hosted by the high school and organized by Evanston Community Cares, a local nonprofit focused on mutual aid and food access. The first drive was held in November in response to the Trump administration freezing Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits.
Volunteers sorted, packaged and delivered goods such as baby products, canned goods, produce and cleaning supplies.
Third Ward resident Carolyn Myszkowski donated goods during the November drive and came back as a volunteer.
“The event in November was incredible,” Myszkowski said. “It was so huge. The turnout was incredible. I waited hours to drop off my food, and I was like, ‘I want to be more a part of this.’”
The event fell on the same day as Evanston’s “No Kings” rally and march in Dawes Park. The march was one of about 3,300 protests nationwide, which called for accountability from the federal government.
Community members made drop-off donations by car at the ETHS field house and carried donations to areas along the march route during the rally. Erin Claeys, the community service coordinator at ETHS, said the alignment of the days, while not planned, was “serendipitous.”
“Today being No Kings Day also, (we’re) trying to act on some of that anger and frustration that people feel and putting it towards getting more food into people’s homes,” Claeys said.
The event aimed to accrue enough bulk food funds and donations to serve more than 500 families, according to an email sent out by organizers to community members earlier this month. Donations were collected on Friday and Saturday and distributed to community members on Sunday.
“I love the way the Evanston community rallies, and ETHS is the center of this community — the anchor,” 7th Ward resident Kathy Tisdahl said. “It shows that you have young people, old people here, all different races, ages, whatever. We’re all here together, serving one another.”
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