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 About
The Common Pantry:
The Common Pantry, www.commonpantry.org,
located at 3744 N. Damen, is the oldest continuously
operating food pantry in Chicago. Since 1967, we have
provided food assistance and social service referrals
to those living at or below the federal poverty level
in our community. Nearly 800 people, a large number
of whom are seniors, children and the disabled, depend
on us each month. We provide our clients with grocery
staples, fresh (and often organic) produce, dairy products,
meat and fresh bread and baked goods. We also provide
them with the personal care products they can't purchase
with their link cards such as soap and shampoo.
 We
recently expanded our services to provide our clients
with a weekly speaker series which brings in speakers
from legal clinics, medical clinics and social service
and government agencies. We also offer blood pressure
screenings, health education and referrals to medical
clinics and provide school supplies in the fall and
toys at holiday time for children who visit us. Our
waiting area includes a reading library and information
about services and programs for our clients.
Two volunteers came to us from WomenOnCall.org, they
were very helpful; both of them worked very hard, were
a great help and offered to come back. They both traveled
quite far to get to the pantry. The pantry is a noisy
and crowded place and they still managed to get a lot
of work done for us. We have only one part time staff
member and rely a great deal on the efforts of volunteers
I am now looking for more volunteers from WomenOnCall.org
to help with grant writing, fundraising and publicity
for our events.
About Bonnie Welch:
 Bonnie
has over 25 years of nonprofit industry experience.
She has been a Vice President of a integrated, multi-hospital
system, a CEO of four medical corporations and a consultant
for many years specializing in Strategic Planning-Appreciative
Inquiry, Balanced Scorecard, Organizational Start-Up,
Board Development, Organizational Development ,Capacity
Building ,Process Improvement and Redesign and Fundraising.
She also spent 10 years overseas working with NGO's
primarily in third world countries using those same
skills in relation to HIV/AIDS in Africa, Distribution
of superseded goods for disasters in third world countries
and the complete planning of three in-country hospitals
for a large multi-national oil company, among other
engagements. She is currently doing independent consulting
and looking for full-time opportunities within the nonprofit
environment in Chicago.
I loved working with Common Pantry and Debbie Shepherd.
She asked for assistance on Board Development and for
suggestions on an appeal letter that might bring more
donations. Debbie was so receptive to any suggestions
and I would love to work with them again. I have loved
working with all the organizations that I have come
in contact through WomenOnCall.org.
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