The Greater Chicago Food Depository notified Fraternite Notre Dame on April 20 that, in 60 days, it would no longer partner with the religious order, citing issues with alleged discrimination and food safety.
Now, the food depository is hosting its own food pantry across the street from Fraternite Notre Dame at Austin Town Hall. May 6 was the second Wednesday the food depository did so, distributing food from 1-5 p.m., while Fraternite Notre Dame pantry hours remain Wednesday from 2 to 5 p.m.
Though the food depository has already stopped supplying food to Fraternite Notre Dame’s pantry and soup kitchen, it has told the religious order that it will provide guidance and support in the transition.
“They might continue their distributions with a supply of food they already had in inventory plus food they’re sourcing through other means,” Jim Conwell, vice president of marketing and communications at the Greater Chicago Food Depository, told Austin Weekly News in a May 5 email. “Our distributions at Austin Town Hall are to ensure food is available for the community until we can get a new partnership up and running in the immediate area.”
A sister at the Fraternite Notre Dame previously told Austin Weekly News that the religious order has been working with the Greater Chicago Food Depository for about 28 years. She said the religious order rejects the food depository’s claims and is looking for another donor to help feed up to 500 families every week.
“Usually when you have something wrong, we are used to having to deal with the health department and other entities. When there is something wrong, they give you a notice and you have to fix the thing, and they come again,” Sister Marie of Fraternite Notre Dame previously told Austin Weekly. She added that the Greater Chicago Food Depository told the religious order their partnership would end the week after their site visit, when they would also stop receiving food. “Right away, without warning, they terminated the program.”
During Greater Chicago Food Depository site visits, their employees observed that guests lined up for Fraternite Notre Dame’s food pantry were segregated based on language and heard reports from Black guests that they were served after Hispanic guests. The food depository also reported that boxes used to distribute food were dirty or moldy.
“We have some volunteers speaking English, and they cannot communicate easily with the Spanish-speaking people,” Sister Marie previously told Austin Weekly News. “We have some Hispanic volunteers. They don’t communicate easily with the English-speaking people, so we had the idea to make two lines. But it’s not discrimination. It’s just to make the process more easy and smooth.” She added, “I heard that some people felt frustrated because they received the remainder of the distribution. That’s because they came after hours. … If we still have food, we give it to them, but that’s not what they would have at the beginning of the distribution.”
Other Austin food pantries
The Greater Chicago Food Depository partners with 11 food pantries that serve the Austin area, including:
- Circle Urban Ministries at 118 N. Central Ave., Wednesdays 9-11 a.m. and Thursdays 12-2 p.m.
- New Life Ministries COGIC at 634 N. Austin Blvd., Thursdays 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and Fridays 4:30-6:30 p.m.
- Helping Our People Excel at 5912 W. Iowa St., Fridays 12-2 p.m.
- Pine Avenue United Church at 1015 N. Pine Ave., Tuesdays 9:30-11:30 a.m.
- St. Martin De Porres at 5112 W. Washington Blvd., Wednesdays and Thursdays 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
- Healing Temple COGIC, 4941 W. Chicago Ave., Fridays 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
- Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1511 N. Long Ave., Tuesdays 12-2 p.m., Saturdays 8-10 a.m.
- Heritage International Community Development at 5320 W. North Ave., Thursdays 6-8 p.m.
- United for Better Living at 4540 W. Washington Blvd., Saturdays 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
- Beyond Hunger at 848 W. Lake St., Wednesdays 3:30-5:30 p.m. and Saturdays 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
- Grace and Peace Church at 1856 N. Leclaire Ave., Tuesdays 2-6 p.m., Wednesdays and Thursdays 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
- The Ark Church at 5040 Roosevelt Rd., Thursdays 4-6 p.m., Fridays 9-11 a.m., Saturdays 8-10 a.m.
Locate the nearest food pantry, soup kitchen or meal program at chicagosfoodbank.org/findfood