Social Justice Work
The Love Fridge
We are excited to announce a partnership with The Love Fridge, which is a Chicago-based mutual aid initiative created to fight food insecurity by placing community refrigerators across the city. Our fridge is located outside of our building on Hyde Park Boulevard.
Below are all the ways that you can get involved! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our Love Fridge Liaison, Yael Hoffman, at hoffman.yael@gmail.com.
Become a community fridge manager
If you are interested in supporting this important mutual aid effort, please sign up to be a community fridge manager! We are in need of folks to make sure that our fridge is stocked with compliant items and clean. Fridge managers will sign up to maintain the fridge in one-week increments (Sunday-Saturday). Fridge managers will be expected to visit our fridge 2-3 times per week so that the fridge is never left empty.
Sign up now!
Donate food to our Love Fridge
You can donate any of the following items by dropping them off at the fridge at your convenience:
- Sealed packaged foods
- Cheeses
- Fresh fruit
- Fresh vegetables
- Table sauces
- Pastry
- Bread
- Unopened pasteurized milk and yogurt
- Unopened fruit juices
- Fresh eggs (with a use-by date)
- Cured meats (in a sealed container with a use-by date)
Donate to support keeping the fridge stocked
You can make a monetary donation to help support our partnerships with local grocers. Donate now through our online payment portal and select "Love Fridge Donations" as the payment type!
Community Partnerships
Local Jewish organizations and other Hyde Park organizations
Spotlight on some groups our members participate in:
Hyde Park Refugee Project. Formed in October 2016, the Hyde Park Refugee Project is a network of supporters and institutional partners (including Rodfei Zedek) that helps refugee families who have experienced war, terror and persecution to build a new life of safety, dignity and self-reliance in Hyde Park. We can help in several ways—by providing employment leads, donating household items, tutoring both adults and children, and providing early childhood enrichment. Learn more about volunteering or financial support.
RefugeeOne. The largest resettlement agency in Illinois, RefugeeOne creates opportunity for refugees fleeing war, terror, and persecution to build new lives of safety, dignity, and self‑reliance.
Ma'ot Chitim. Members and children annually help in the delivery of Ma'ot Chitim (food packages) for the High Holy Days and Passover. If you're in good shape and are looking around for a new mitzvah to take on, consider volunteering with Ma'ot Chitim of Greater Chicago. Drivers always needed.
Hyde Park & Kenwood Interfaith Council. Founded in 1911, the Hyde Park & Kenwood Interfaith Council is among the oldest interfaith organizations in the nation. It is an association of religious and spiritual communities, seminaries, and services organizations which intentionally cooperate to foster just and compassionate relationships and interconnectedness.
