Chuhak & Tecson helping end hunger in Chicago one can at a time

For the third year in a row, attorneys and staff at Chuhak & Tecson, P.C., are coming together to help make a difference in the Chicago community by volunteering at the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

On February 26 the firm will have normal business hours all day but will do a soft close in the afternoon so employees can pack boxes of food at the Depository. Feeding 678,000 Cook County residents annually, the agency relies on volunteers to repackage bulk products for shipment to a network of local food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters.

“Volunteering is a great opportunity to get to know people outside of the typical work environment, while at the same time engaging in community service for an important cause,” said Mitch Weinstein, a principal at Chuhak & Tecson who participated in the last two firm events at the Food Depository. “I find it serves as an excellent team building experience for both our attorneys and staff.”

Volunteering at the Greater Chicago Food Depository aligns with the firm’s ongoing commitment to bettering the Chicagoland area through community service. The firm sponsored 25 service projects to celebrate its 25^th anniversary in 2012, and employees regularly participate in service-driven events and activities through the firm.

According to a recent report by Feeding America, the umbrella organization for the nation’s food banks, one in six residents of Cook County are “food insecure,” meaning they do not know when their next meal will be. The Greater Chicago Food Depository and its many volunteers are on a mission to combat those high numbers and offer healthy meal options for those in need.

In 2013, the Depository distributed 66 million pounds of fresh produce, dairy products, meats and nonperishable foods. That amount is equivalent to 138,365 meals per day.

Seeing their efforts go to such a worthy cause, Chuhak & Tecson volunteers are looking forward to this month’s trip to the Depository.

“Volunteering is important because government only provides a certain level of services to the community at large, and charities fill the gaps where government does not provide assistance,” Weinstein said. “Whether you donate time or money, contributions are essential to keep organizations like the Greater Chicago Food Depository working to fulfill their missions.”