FAQs

Evanston Community Cares (ECC) is a new grassroots effort created by local residents and leaders to ensure that every neighbor has reliable access to food, essential services, and emergency support. In response to the federal shutdown, SNAP disruptions and newly enacted SNAP  job loss, and rising financial pressures, our fund provides fast, compassionate mutual aid when families need it most.

We started with grass roots efforts in community collaboration with Evanston Latinos, Sanctuary Evanston & Evanston Community Fridges, & the City of Evanston to host know your rights community building nights and whistle and zine making events.  Our  food drive on November 2nd at ETHS quickly followed those smaller events.  From the Nov 2nd event we were able to organize a box food distribution with the City of Evanston in collaboration with EL, SE & ECFridges on November 9th followed by another large food drive on November 16th at ETHS.

We created ECC to engage the community in mutual aid and community care to support the important work of local organizations and increase widespread community collaboration in helping and working alongside our most affected community members during this difficult time.

Evanston Community Cares is a grassroots initiative, not a non-profit, The Evanston Community Cares Fund is backed by our fiscal agent, Evanston Community Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, making all donations tax-deductible. Our collaboration with ECF which provides trusted stewardship of the EECF allows community members the assurance they need to join us in this emergency effort to help and resource our collective community.

We are based in Evanston and are all Evanston volunteers and local leaders working together in Evanston focusing on creating mutual aid events and fundraising opportunities to help our community based on a zero cost model that brings community members together to help and work alongside our collective community to create a better tomorrow for all.

We are committed to transparency. Approximately 99%-100% of all donations go directly to the organizations, programs, and services supported by the ECCF. Our only future costs are limited to potential future banking fees that currently have been waived, but may be fees we need to pay in the future.

The Evanston Community Cares Fund distributes direct funding to 5 high impact organizations providing critical aid and serves as a lifeline of emergency mutual aid at this difficult time for so many in our community. View the funds distribution plan.

99%-100% of every contribution goes towards helping neighbors who need immediate support and supporting the organizations providing aid as determined by ECF & ECCF Leaders. This includes food, housing and other emergency support.

The Evanston Community Cares Fund distributes direct funding to 5 high impact organizations providing critical aid and serves as a lifeline of emergency mutual aid at this difficult time for so many in our community. View the funds distribution plan.

For example

• $50-$100 helps an FRL D65 or D202 family with basic food needs and essentials for a week.
• $150 fills an 1 entire Evanston Community Fridge
• $300-$500 helps an FRL D65 or D202 family with basic food needs and essentials for 1-2 week or fills nearly 3 entire Evanston Community Fridges
• $1000 helps a family of 4 for 4 weeks
• $1500 helps a family of 5-6 for 4 weeks
• $2000 helps a family of 7-10 for 4 weeks

Moving from surviving to thriving for affected community members and eliminating the hunger & resource access crisis in Evanston is the goal of Evanston Community Cares. We all learned during the shutdown that these benefits are extremely fragile and the power of providing a little hope and working together to share resources for our fellow community members is priceless.

• Benefit cuts: Recent policy changes, including newly stated work requirement expansions and mass reductions in eligibility for certain groups like immigrants here legally, veterans, people between the ages of 18-64, further strain the program's ability to meet needs for thousands of SNAP recipients.
• SNAP is intended to supplement food costs, not cover them entirely, meaning benefits are not enough to fully address food insecurity and are compounded by Job loss, housing insecurity and various additional hardships our community is facing.
• Immigrants granted official humanitarian protections will NO longer be eligible, including:
  • Refugees,
  • Asylees,
  • Victims of human trafficking and certain victims of violence and torture
  • And other historically qualified statuses
• 45% of SNAP households have children, 44% have a person with a disability and 37% have elderly adults living in the home
• Changes in SNAP Benefits can be viewed HERE
• More than 10k SNAP recipients reside in Evanston and the vast majority have children that attend D65 and/or D202 whom are also reliant on SNAP

If you are interested in volunteering at an upcoming event, please fill out this contact form.

You can also contact our partner organizations and explore volunteer opportunities with them.

We rely heavily on our volunteers! 

Find out if your employer will match your donation here:

https://www.opensecrets.org/donate/employer-donation-matching

The Evanston Community Cares Fund supports 5 high impact organizations including the two Evanston local school districts that are directly helping community members through mutual aid systems, and through direct aid addressing food insecurity, housing insecurity, job loss and access to additional essential resources. Learn more about current beneficiaries of the ECCF here.

Yes, collaboration with hundreds of community members and community building is at the heart of Evanston Community Cares.

Some of our key partners and those we have collaborated with include ETHS, Faith Based Communities such as JRC, Evanston Interfaith Clergy, Vineyard Pantry, Connections for the Homeless, C&W, the City of Evanston, Evanston Community Foundation, Evanston Community Fridges, Niles Township Pantry, Bundled Blessings, Art Makers Outpost, Sanctuary Evanston, District 65 Schools, D65 PTA, Local businesses like La Cocinita, DeSalvos Pizzeria, La Principal, Space, and more! We are always open to partnering so please reach out to find out more!