Chicago, IL
Investments here will help a small grocery store with big ambitions for its community; promote a project that uses smart technology to relieve food deserts, and train workers to check blood pressure at local churches.
Caremessage
CareMessage is a non-profit technology company that uses text messages to help safety-net organizations meet the needs of patients who lack an easy way to track health service appointments and manage all of their medical records. Its comprehensive platform integrates with electronic medical record systems, particularly at Federally Qualified Health Centers and free and charitable clinics. This allows providers to text targeted interventions that reduce costs and improve patient care.
ChiFresh Kitchen
ChiFresh is a worker cooperative food service contractor, owned and managed mostly by Black women who were incarcerated. It sells nutrient-dense meals to institutions serving food-insecure residents on Chicago’s west and south sides. ChiFresh Kitchen helps create wealth and an equitable food system for returning residents so companies led by under-represented racial and ethnic groups meet the needs of their communities.
News and Updates
Block Club Chicago: October 28, 2020
Forty Acres Fresh Market
Forty Acres operates a small specialty grocery store and delivers food to low-income and elderly residents. It also employs people who have been released from prison. Learn more about this addressing food access and food insecurity.
News and Updates
Jane Addams Resource Corporation
Jane Addams Resource Corporation connects low-income adults and returning residents on the west side of Chicago to careers with family-sustaining wages through free technical manufacturing training and wrap-around services.
mRelief
mRelief is a Chicago-based social enterprise that accesses SNAP benefits through a multilingual digital platform. Over 425,000 families have used mRelief to unlock over $100 million in SNAP benefits via web, text or voice.
Sweet Potato Patch
Sweet Potato Patch uses smart technology and GPS tracking systems to deliver healthy food options to people living in urban food deserts on Chicago’s South Side. It also employs health workers who promote healthy food consumption in public housing communities. Read more about program and mission.