​To help spread the word about Chicago Shares, two volunteers, Ron Polaniecki (president) and Elizabeth Kohlbeck (director) joined Chicago Radio co-host Father Greg Sakowicz (rector, Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago, and a member of the Chicago Shares Board of directors) in a discussion about how the program works, where it got started and why it is both unique and important.
 
Just click on the "Listen Button" under the heading: "Chicago Shares/Rector's Christmas Concert," Thursday, December 12, 2019

Deacon Tim Sullivan (left), St. Clement Parish, Chicago, receives resolution electing him honorary member of the Board of Directors of Chicago Shares, from Ron Polaniecki, Chicago Shares president. The resolution cites Deacon Tim's tireless commitment to serving the needy in the St. Clement community area and his ongoing support of the Chicago Shares program. The presentation was made June 14 at the regular St. Clement's "Friday Morning Hospitality," which is part of its "Sack Lunch Program" for the needy in the neighborhood.

Chicago Shares board members presented grant award checks to the 2019 Chicago Shares Grant recipients. View a list of grant recipients.

​Below are photos of the check presentations at various organizations.

Chicago Shares was recently featured on the "Catholic Chicago" radio show, WNDZ, 750 AM. Listeners were given an overview of the program, including how and where to buy and distribute vouchers

To listen to the discussion, please visit the radio show's website here. In Month of May/Chicago Shares section, click on "Download" for an MP3 file of the show. Additionally, the podcast link is available here. The Chicago Shares segment begins at 33:45 (you can "fast forward" to this point by sliding the timing bar).

Thank you to WNDZ for featuring our organization and highlighting ways to help the hungry in Chicago.

WGN TV News recently featured Chicago Shares during its broadcast and on its website. 

The clip below highlights how our program works, and features interviews with Ron Polaniecki, President of Chicago Shares, and Max Khan, owner of Max's Take Out, a restaurant that accepts Chicago Shares. 

“We’re so grateful for your help in supporting those in need.” That’s the strong and reoccurring theme of the responses received to the Chicago Shares announcement of its 2016 grants.
Chicago Shares, a unique Chicago not-for-profit founded in 1993, provides meals to the hungry through a voucher program.  Each year a certain percentage of the vouchers purchased by generous people are never redeemed, thus providing a reserve of funds from which grants are made.
Recently, Chicago Shares announced that it is providing $15,000 in grants to 10 Chicago area not-for-profits that subscribe to a “help-the-needy” mission.
Grant recipients have underscored that these grants are particularly welcome now as other resources including state and local funding continue to dwindle.
Here are the 2016 grant recipients:
Lincoln Park Community Shelter
600 W. Fullerton Parkway
Chicago, IL  60614
http://www.lpcsonline.org/
Breakthrough
402 North Saint Louis Avenue
Chicago, IL  60624
http://www.breakthrough.org/
Care for Real
5339 N. Sheridan Road
Chicago, IL 60640
http://careforreal.org/
Pacific Garden Mission
1458 S. Canal Street
Chicago, IL  60607
https://www.pgm.org/
Fourth Presbyterian Church
126 E. Chestnut
Chicago, IL  60611
http://fourthchurch.org/
Common Pantry
3744 N. Damen
Chicago, IL 60618
http://commonpantry.org/program/
Society of St. Vincent DePaul
10525 Delta Parkway
Schiller Park, 60176
http://commonpantry.org/program/
The Chicago Help Initiative
440 N Wells Street, Suite 44
Chicago, IL  60654
http://chicagohelpinitiative.org/
Catholic Charities, Archdiocese of Chicago
721 N. LaSalle Street
Chicago, IL  60654
http://www.catholiccharities.net/
Franciscan Outreach
1645 W. LeMoyne
Chicago, IL 60622
https://www.franoutreach.org/


Chicago Shares vouchers (which cannot be used for alcohol or tobacco) are safe, convenient, and easy to use. They enable generous Chicagoans to help the needy person-to person in a dignified way.
Chicago Shares has always been a volunteer program, which means there are no paid staff.
For more information on where Chicago Shares are sold and where they can be redeemed (plus information on becoming a volunteer or a merchant), please email us at chicagoshares@gmail.com, or visit http://chicagoshares.com/

On May 26, Chicago Shares’ President Ron Polaniecki and Executive Director Julie Stagliano visited the Relevant Radio studios to discuss our program. You can listen to the interview here.
You can learn more about Relevant Radio here.

Comments from King Poor, a suburban resident who works downtown and is a Chicago Shares “frequent giver.”
“Chicago Shares offers an immediate way to give needy people a boost — people who may say to themselves, ‘Who cares about me?’ Beyond the importance of providing someone with a meal, giving Shares also means giving someone encouragement.”
And a story from the frontlines: “Three days before Christmas, I was giving Shares to someone who’d been a regular recipient over the past year. He thanked me and then said that he wanted to show me something. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of the Shares that I’d given him. He said that he’d been saving them so he could buy something special for the holidays.
It was a reminder that we never know how small acts of encouragement may help lift someone up.”
Tell us – Why do you give Chicago Shares?
Send your thoughts to: Chicagoshares@gmail.com

On June 26, 2016, Holy Name Cathedral honored Monseignor Dan Mayall with a reception in the lovely Cathedral courtyard. Msgr Mayall, a faithful board member of Chicago Shares for 12 years, is being transferred to another parish in Wilmette.
​
Executive director Julie Stagliano and past board chair Rich Kaczmarek were there to present a certificate of thanks on behalf of Chicago Shares.