Colonel Jennifer N. Pritzker’s TAWANI Foundation Responds to Growing Food Insecurity With $500,000 Grant to GCFD
Support aims to bolster emergency food access as policy changes and economic pressures strain households
Chicago, Nov. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TAWANI Foundation, founded by Lieutenant Colonel Jennifer N. Pritzker (Retired), is proud to announce a $500,000 grant to the Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD) to help address rising food insecurity amid recent SNAP benefit reductions, the recent government shutdown, and the holiday season. Since 1979, the Food Depository has been a vital resource, providing nutritious food and essential support to individuals and families at risk of hunger throughout Chicago and Cook County.
“At TAWANI Foundation, we believe that meeting basic human needs is fundamental to building stronger, more resilient communities,” said LTC Jennifer Pritzker USA (RET). “The Greater Chicago Food Depository has been a critical partner in this work for decades, and we are proud to support their efforts at a time when so many households are feeling the strain of economic and policy changes. Together, we can help ensure that every person has access to the food and dignity they deserve.”
To achieve its mission, the Food Depository works in partnership with a network of community-based organizations and programs – food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, mobile distributions, and others. The Greater Chicago Food Depository advocates for federal, state and local policies that protect our community from hunger and its root causes.
“The Greater Chicago Food Depository is incredibly grateful to TAWANI Foundation and Colonel Jennifer Pritzker for this generous grant, which comes at a time when food insecurity is rising and the federal safety net is shrinking,” said Kate Maehr, executive director and CEO of the Food Depository. “TAWANI Foundation is a longtime and loyal partner in our mission to end hunger, sharing our beliefs that food is a basic human right and hunger is a problem we can solve.”
In addition to the grant awarded to the Food Depository, the Foundation, through Mission94 Firearms Education Center, has also awarded $44,000 to the Shalom Center of the Interfaith Network of Kenosha County. This support will help enhance the Center’s food pantry programs, ensuring families have increased access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Shalom Center is a community resource that provides housing, food, guidance, and support to individuals and families in need across our community. Shalom Center serves as the only homeless shelter, largest food pantry, and longest running nightly meal program.
To learn more about TAWANI Foundation grants, visit www.tawanifoundation.org/our-grants. TAWANI Foundation is a private foundation that accepts applications by invitation only. There is no open application period.
About TAWANI Foundation
Founded in 2002 by notable philanthropist and entrepreneur Colonel (IL) Jennifer N. Pritzker, IL ARNG (Retired), TAWANI Enterprises' philanthropic organization, TAWANI Foundation, is a 501(c)(3) that provides support in the areas of arts and culture, historical preservation, health and wellness, LGBTQ+ and human rights, education, and environmental initiatives. TAWANI Foundation's vision is to make a sustained and measurable difference for organizations that focus on enriching knowledge, improving health and wellness, and promoting scientific understanding - all with a common goal of making a positive, long-term impact on individuals, communities, and the culture itself. To learn more, visit https://tawanifoundation.org.
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Erika Davis TAWANI Foundation (312) 374-9455 erika.davis@tawani.net
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