COLLAB Network Showcase

Last week, HCC participated in the COLLAB Network Showcase. COLLAB, Community Organizations Learning, Lifting and Building, is a pilot program launched by West Side United that brings together community-based organizations working in nutrition and food access across Chicago’s West Side. The showcase marked the culmination of 16 months of training for the 2025-2026 cohort.

Our project centered around developing a food rescue program at the Harmony Food Pantry, with a specific focus on providing more fresh fruits and vegetables to our clients. The idea is that by offering more and healthier foods, we can shift dietary habits and in the long term, improve public health outcomes.

HCC connected with organizations like the Sinai Urban Health Institute, the Pilsen Food Pantry, and others doing important work across the West Side.

While the program has come to a close, we’ve made powerful connections with local organizations, including the Garfield Park Community Council, a fellow COLLAB participant and partner in our produce purchasing program. We’re looking forward to finding new ways to collaborate and keep improving the lives of people on the West Side.