Hi Neighbors,

Thank you for your amazing care and support through this year, we could not have sustained the work without all of our contributions! In light of the decrease in funding and sustained needs in finance and food support, we are making the following changes:

1. We have suspended direct financial aid indefinitely, since we cannot adequately fulfill all new requests. Instead, we’ve adopted Leveler as a mechanism for peer-to-peer contributions among neighbors. If you have a financial need, we can help you set up a request on the new IPMA leveler page, email or contact us if you need help. If you are able and willing to contribute directly financially, please visit ipma.leveler.info.

2. We will use the existing balance on Open Collective as a reserve for the ongoing food distribution efforts. Our food delivery efforts have grown over the last couple of months, to serving 20 families weekly by the end of the year. As part of a Northwest Chicago Mutual Aid collective, we have been able to source food boxes through USDA Farmers-to-Families Food Box program. However, this program has ended and we are urgently seeking alternative sources. This reserve fund will allow us to better address food insecurity in the Irving Park community.

With respect to this need, we’ve replaced the financial assistance contribution tier with food assistance. Please consider contributing regularly to this so that these efforts can be sustained.

Despite these changes, we continue to support direct financial aid as an effective, evidence-based way to help. We will look for ways to continue this support through Leveler, when more funds are available.

in solidarity,

Your neighbors in Iriving Park