Resources
There are many groups and organizations throughout Lake County working to feed their hungry neighbors and educate communities about the importance of eating fresh food. There are also countless ways to support these groups as they do this important work.
Local Community Organizations
Boys & Girls Club of Lake County
Founded in 2000, the mission of Boys & Girls Club of Lake County (BGCLC) is to inspire all young people to fulfill their potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. At BGCLC, we envision a future in which ALL youth in Lake County can dream big, achieve their goals, and contribute to a healthy and prosperous community.
Brushwood Center
Brushwood Center works collaboratively with community partners, artists, health care providers, and scientists to improve health equity and access to nature in Lake County, Illinois, and the Chicago region. We engage people with the outdoors through the arts, environmental education, and community action. Brushwood Center’s programs focus on youth, families, Military Veterans, and those facing racial and economic injustices.
CLC Horticulture Department
The mission of the College of Lake County Horticulture Department is to provide high quality, accessible, affordable education addressing the science, art, and business of horticulture, sustainable agriculture, landscape design, and natural areas management.
GreenTown Grows
GreenTown Waukegan is a group of citizens—working under a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation—to grow healthy food, without herbicides or pesticides, to feed low-income families. We also promote the concept of urban farming and help to plant other community gardens.
Hunger Resource Network
Hunger Resource Network’s mission is to aid in the alleviation of hunger by helping meet the needs of food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters across Chicagoland. We are a 501(c)(3) certified non-profit organization. We donate protein by the TON to these organizations.
Lake County Forest Preserves
Founded in 1958, the Lake County Forest Preserves is the principal guardian of Lake County’s natural and cultural resources. More than 31,200 acres are preserved as open space for the public to enjoy, with 64 unique sites connected by 209 miles of trail. With more biodiversity than any other county in Illinois, the Forest Preserves works on a landscape scale to restore and maintain the ecological health of our diverse native habitats.
Liberty Prairie Foundation
Situated on 95 acres of farmland in Grayslake, IL, our work focuses on growing healthy food for people and the earth, student-leadership, hands-on experiences, and bringing food from within 300 miles to you at the Liberty Prairie Farm Store.
Midwest Dairy
Midwest Dairy is a not-for-profit providing research and evidence-based dairy sustainability and nutrition promotion on behalf of over 4,000 dairy farmers in the Midwest.
Mosaic Hub
We create spaces of belonging and becoming to develop leaders, strengthen churches, and transform communities. We do this through the Mosaic Hub, a transformational gathering place, the Mosaic Houses, intentional living communities, and a network of churches.
Roberti Community House
The mission of Roberti Community House is to nourish, educate, and empower community members so that they can acknowledge, appreciate, and actualize their individual strengths and talents.
University of Illinois Extension
Food access is a key component of our unit working with schools, farms, and community gardens to help all residents with healthier food options.
Our 4-H youth works with all aspects of life skills to include food related, gardening, robotics and more.
Waukegan Park District
The Waukegan Park District is committed to providing parks, facilities, and leisure opportunities to our culturally diverse population through leadership with community involvement, dedicated staff, and sound management.