Advocate Good Shepherd launches food drive to address local food insecurity

In a heartfelt move to address food insecurity in the northwest suburbs, Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital kicked off its annual food drive early this year, and extended the collection period by two weeks.

The hospital’s annual food drive usually takes place in the first two weeks of December. However, this year’s drive started at the beginning of November and will continue through Nov. 30.

The change grew from a deep, collective concern — of hospital doctors, nurses, teammates and executives — and a commitment to bring healthy food options to area residents struggling with food insecurity.

“As health professionals, it’s in our nature to care, not just for our patients, but for each other and everyone in the community we serve,” said Rafael Malpica, director of hospital programs at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital and Advocate Condell Medical Center. “We see a growing need for help accessing foods that contribute to good health. We see this in our clinics and in our day-to-day lives. And we want to help.”

Every day, the Advocate Good Shepherd team adds donations of canned goods, boxed meals and other food staples to bins placed throughout the hospital. Then hospital volunteers sort and transport the donated food to Crystal Lake Food Pantry and Wauconda/Island Lake Food Pantry.

Hospital leaders encourage participation through daily reminders, heartfelt messages, and team challenges, sparking friendly competition and a surge of generosity.

“Our teammates moved quickly. They rose to this timely challenge, and I am incredibly proud of their dedication to addressing critical social determinants of health,” said Karen Lambert, president of Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital. “Their compassion comes at a time when our community needs it most, making their efforts all the more meaningful and inspiring.”

One teammate who rose to the challenge and became an early donor is Cassidy Gillespie-Dipinto, a cardiology surgical scheduler at Advocate Good Shepherd.

“I went through my pantry and donated essentials including canned goods, peanut butter and jelly, pasta, rice and baby food,” said Gillespie-Dipinto. “I hope this food drive helps bring meaningful relief to local food pantries at a time when they need support the most.”

According to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, one in five households with children in the Barrington area struggle with food insecurity. For many, that means choosing between groceries and rent — a tradeoff that can lead to chronic illness and preventable hospitalizations.

Advocate Good Shepherd’s extended food drive is one of numerous teammate-driven food collection drives taking place across six states as part of the Advocate Health system.

Advocate Health recently announced a $1 million donation to expand food access programs — on top of $2.6 million already committed this year — underscoring its role as a leading voice in addressing social determinants of health.

“This is more than a food drive,” Malpica said. “It’s a movement of compassion, a reminder that even in hard times, we can come together to help the communities we are proud to serve.”