To help raise funds to fight hunger, Hunger Resource Network hosts an annual Golf Outing and Ball Drop. This year’s golf outing will be held on Wednesday, August 7. At this event we provide our guests with a delicious lunch from the Chevy Chase Country Club in Wheeling, Illinois. At noon, there is an exciting Ball Drop followed by golfers playing a full 18 holes. Once the golfers return to the clubhouse, they enjoy a dinner with a silent auction and raffle. Then the golfers learn the outcome of various competitions throughout the day, including best putt and longest drive. It’s a full day of fun and fundraising with all of the money raised going directly to helping Hunger Resource Network purchase more food for families in need.

The mission of Hunger Resource Network (HRN) is to aid in the alleviation of hunger by helping meet the needs of food relief organizations such as food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters in the Chicagoland area. Hunger Resource Network does not serve individuals directly, but coordinates services through recipient service providers including food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and more recently, through schools. Since our founding in 2009, HRN has procured and provided a total of over 4.5 million pounds of food at no cost to recipient agencies. After surveying food relief organizations, we began to address one of their major challenges - the chronic shortage of sources of high-quality protein. To help fulfill this need, we hold a Community Outreach Day “Poultry to Pantries” every spring and fall. With funds we raise, we purchase high-quality frozen chicken from a distributor at a greatly discounted price. A typical event results in the distribution of 120,000 pounds of frozen chicken at no cost to over 40 food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters throughout Cook County and the collar counties. Both Greater Chicago Food Depository and Northern Illinois Food Bank provide valuable assistance to food banks and pantries. Yet many small food relief agencies in Chicagoland are not served by these two organizations. Small agencies may not meet the membership requirements of these larger food banks or have funds to pay for the food they provide. Hunger Resource Network fills this critical gap. The more money we raise, the more chicken we are able to distribute, and the more hungry people we are able to feed.