Replating the Holidays in The Windy City

Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago - or Kells Park Community Council - is one of Replate’s longtime recipient partners - they serve dozens and sometimes hundreds of meals each week to their local community in Humboldt Park .

On December 21, 2023, Replate coordinated a donation from SMiZE, Tyra Banks’ ice cream company, to Kells Park Community Council (or NHS) in Chicago’s West Humboldt Park neighborhood.  

Kells Park was hosting their yearly gift drive for children in the underserved West Humboldt neighborhood that very same day, making the timing of the donation extra special. 

NHS had gathered both monetary donations and donated gifts, and individually wrapped over 300 presents for kids who might otherwise not have seen a gift from Santa this year.  The children and their parents arrived, eager but patiently waiting in line for a gift and cups of hot cocoa.    

Then, much to everyone’s delight, in rolled a freezer truck stocked with 750 lbs of individual ice cream cups, ready to hand out, on the spot, to children and their families.

Kells Park Community Center was able to give out nearly 3000 cups of Tyra’s signature flavor: “The Best Vanilla I’ve Ever Had” (with built-in spoons), covering every child and their attending family members, as well as sending several children home with boxes to share with siblings or other folks back at home.

Ice cream is a special treat that, because of rapidly increasing grocery prices, doesn’t make it onto the shopping lists of many families who are working hard just to make ends meet in this difficult economy. 

Replate being able to collaboratively contribute a little more joy to an incredible community celebration was the high note our team needed before our yearly holiday break.  Diverting potential food waste while also supporting local communities is what we’re all about!

Thank you so much to the team at SMiZE for helping make this vibrant community feel a little more supported, and collaborating with Replate to delight these families during the 2023 holidays.

And thanks also, to Nita at Kells Park Community Council, for sharing her photos with us and for always being a fantastic food recovery partner.

Keeping the spirit of collaboration at the center of our efforts helps Replate ensure that #EverybodyEats!      

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To support Kells Park Community Council, visit their FB page.

SMiZE is currently undergoing a rebrand! - More info can be found on their website.

Learn more about Replate and food recovery here.