A Celebration Two Decades in the Making

Cheers to 20 Years of Harmony Food Pantry!

Twenty years ago, Harmony Food Pantry started with one pastor and the trunk of his car. This fall, a room full of committed people gathered to celebrate how far it has come. The love was felt by all, and it reminded us of the heart of our work.

Reverend James Brooks shared how it all started. His father, then pastor, found a man in the alley behind the church digging for food. He went to the Greater Chicago Food Depository and returned to hand out food to his community. “This should not be,” James said, and that line carried through everything he shared. Twenty years later, there are still things that should not be, and that is why we keep showing up.

Kate Maehr, Executive Director and CEO of GCFD, reminded us what 20 years of partnership looks like: a pantry that shows up week after week, no matter the circumstances. She shared her pride and gratitude at being our partner.

Diane Carioscio, Food Pantry Director, and Shonte Little, Food Pantry Manager, turned our eyes forward. They shared a hope for a pantry where every family has access not just to food, but to fresh, healthy food, and for a network of partners that keeps growing alongside us. In their words, “Let us continue to work together to create a future where no family has to choose between having enough food and having healthy food.”

Sue Foran, Board Member, honored the volunteers who were there at the beginning to help Harmony Food Pantry begin its journey. Because of their caring efforts, we now welcome more than 200 families at our pantry each week.

Thank you to our volunteers, our board, our planning committee, Salud Comfort Foods, and the Nathan Reider Trio for making this celebration so special. A special thank you to

Greg Rohlfing for capturing the magic of the night in the photos featured here. Here’s to the next 20!