September 18th, 2025, 4:20pm MDT
Latter-day Saints’ Church of Jesus Christ has donated 70,000 pounds of food, sufficient to fill two semi-trucks, to feed their families into food insecurity in Chicago, Illinois.
Volunteers from churches and other organizations gathered from September 11th to 13th to organize their groceries into grocery bags and distribute donations to more than 1,000 families.
Each family received two bags of dry goods and one bag of frozen meat and dairy products.
The service opportunities were held at the Rainbow Push Union headquarters in Chicago and listed on JustServe.org, where volunteers can find information about participation.
The JustServe platform is a free website and app that allows community organizations to list service needs and volunteers can find service opportunities around them.
Pastor Jesse Jackson, who founded the Rainbow Push Coalition, attended the service on Saturday, according to a news release on Churchofjesuschrist.org.
The coalition was formed in 1996 on the mission of “protecting, defending and acquiring civil rights by leveling the field of economic and educational play, and promoting peace and justice around the world.
Rev. Jackson’s son Yousef Jackson also said he is also the executive director of the coalition, but his father is pleased to meet people at an event in September where he serves like a Savior.
“It put a smile on his heart,” he said. “Food the Hunger – a direct mission from Jesus Christ – is important to us, and we believe this is our duty to continue our service.
When the mother received the food, she said it would be a bridge between having to buy grocery shopping and having to buy essentials.
“So I can get other things in place of food with the money I need,” Shonelle Hampton said. “It literally helps to put food on my table for my son.”
Members of the Latter-day Saint Church of Jesus Christ strive to follow two great commandments: love God and love each other.
According to Mathia Marcchi, the representative of Chicagoland Just Sharb, services like Hungry feeding are “active gospels.”
“Serving in our community is how we love God and love our neighbors,” Marcci said. “It was a lot of work, but working shoulder to shoulder with the amazing people here at the Rainbow Push Union, which is committed to loving and serving our neighbors and keeping our families hungry has been a truly fulfilling and wonderful experience.”
Malcz said church members are looking for ways to work with the Rainbow Push Coalition to serve in the community.
“It was a food insecurity,” she said. “We thought, ‘Let’s do something when our kids get back to school in September.’ We need to eat to our families and we need to make sure they are caring for them. ”
Rev. Bobiruis, Chief of Staff of the Rainbow Push Union and pastor of Joylife Center Church in Chicago, spoke about how serving others strengthens God’s relationship with his neighbors.
“It’s this type of job that we understand who we are with God and who we are with each other,” he said.
He also thanked the church for helping the Rainbow Push Union carry out Rev. Jackson’s vision.
“There’s change here in the Rainbow Push Union. Changes in our people, changes in our culture,” Pastor Lewis said.
Elder Stephen D. Shamway, 70, joined the service. He and his wife, sister Heidi Shumway, served as mission leaders in Chicago from 2019 to 2022.
“I loved Chicago and lived here,” Elder Shamway said. “Today I can see another brother.”
Pastor Lewis said these service projects could connect the nation with the world at the time of division.
“We’re going to be coming out to better people,” he said. “We’re coming out stronger people, we’re going to do something bigger together.
Elder Shamway and Rev. Lewis agreed that such a project would continue.
“We will continue to move forward with this effort because it is God’s efforts, not ours,” Elder Shamway said. “We are not going to quit God’s job.”
