MISSION 3:18 IMPACT STORY
Mission 3:18 brings service into the heart of the baseball season, connecting professional players with meaningful opportunities to support communities across the country. Working alongside MLB teams and chaplains, Big League Impact partners with trusted nonprofit organizations addressing critical local needs.
One of those organizations is Nourishing Hope, which provides Chicagoans with access to nutritious food, social services and mental wellness support. Nourishing Hope shared the following story about Michael, whose experience shows how consistent access to food — and a caring community — can help families facing difficult circumstances.
For the past seven years, Michael has traveled from Chicago’s North Park neighborhood to Nourishing Hope because, as he says, “It’s absolutely worth it.”
Michael lives on disability benefits and SNAP while helping support a multigenerational household that includes his daughter and five grandchildren. With so many family members depending on a limited monthly budget, every grocery trip matters.
Even with the cost of gas, Michael continues making the trip because of the quality and variety of food he receives. But what keeps him coming back is something even more meaningful: the way he is treated.
“Here I feel taken care of,” Michael said. “People treat me so well. They know me and my needs.”
After years of physically demanding warehouse work, open-heart surgery and a hip replacement, Michael understands how quickly circumstances can change. Today, potential reductions to SNAP leave him concerned about how his family will continue making ends meet.
“I am worried,” he said, “but I know they will take care of me here.”
For Michael, Nourishing Hope is more than a place to receive groceries. It is a community where he is welcomed by name, where his grandchildren receive gifts during the holidays and where his family can count on nutritious food provided with dignity and compassion.
His story is a reminder that addressing food insecurity means more than filling a pantry. It means creating a dependable place where neighbors feel known, supported and cared for.
If you’re interested in helping Nourishing Hope serve Chicago neighbors like Michael, consider making a donation or volunteering.
Learn more about how Nourishing Hope serves Chicagoans like Michael at nourishinghopechi.org.
Impact story, photo and quotations provided by Nourishing Hope.
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Philadelphia Phillies at Nourishing Hope Chicago
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Philadelphia Phillies at Nourishing Hope Chicago
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Philadelphia Phillies at Nourishing Hope Chicago