CHICAGO — At Michele Clark High School on Saturday, thousands of families gathered to receive turkey, ham, and other holiday pantry and grocery items before the Thanksgiving holiday.
“It’s not just turkey, it’s ham with the trimmings. We had all of that today. The church brought clothes, coats… they did it all,” said Pamela Price, the Director of CPS Parent University.
CPS Parent University teamed up with Common Ground Collective, Growth EDU, New City Church and several other generous organizations to give families in need a memorable and plentiful Thanksgiving dinner.
Volunteers spent the day loading up cars and handing out as many goods as they could. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson also stopped by to meet community members and help pass out turkeys.
For many, the day was emotional — a mix of happiness and relief as they witnessed the generosity of their community.
On the South Side, Zakat Chicago held its own turkey distribution event. Organizers say that between both giveaways, nearly 7,000 turkeys were handed out. Organizers say these events are essential for families facing rising financial challenges.
“This year I think it’s more because of the SNAP benefits recipients not having, and we don’t want anybody to leave this holiday event without having any turkey,” explained Zakat Chicago Chairman Irshad Kahn.
With the recent passing of the so-called “OneBig Beautiful Bill,” new changes will alter work requirements for public benefit recipients, creating new uncertainty for many families. Even amidst those changes, the mission of events like the ones that occurred in the Chicago Saturday remains clear: to ensure every family has a seat at the table and a meal to share.
“It’s tough times right now… there’s a lot going on. There are a lot of people that are hurting right now,” said Jerremy Howell with New City Church. “There are a lot of folks that might not have the things that other people might be fortunate to have.”
And for many volunteers, the day’s impact went beyond food distribution.
“This event was such a heartwarming event. It really did bring everybody together. It brought the love we have for our neighbors together, and that’s a universal theme for us,” said Zakat Chicago Media Relations member Arjumand Hashmi Kahn.
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