YOUR PARTNER IN COMMUNITY FOOD INITIATIVES

Top Box Community

Collaborates with organizations to address hunger and improve health outcomes through food.

We offer customizable grocery boxes, tailored programming, and flexible delivery options that make it easy for your community to access healthy food.

Our Community Partners

are a diverse group of organizations including nonprofits, churches, hospitals, schools, government entities, corporations, and more.

With our expertise in sourcing, packaging, and delivering food, we work with you to customize your community food initiative.

Check out some of our partnerships & programs below.

Addressing Hunger with Humana & ADA

In 2022, the American Diabetes Association®, Humana, and Top Box Foods teamed up to fight food insecurity and promote community nutrition across Northern Illinois, hosting events in Kankakee, Roseland, Rockford, and Waukegan. The program continues its success and positive impact in 2023.

2022 Impact

950 households received 12,400 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables and 6,062 pounds of chicken, grains, and other pantry staples at 5 community events in 4 cities resulting in 15,385 meal equivalents

  • A fresh produce box with Humana measuring spoons and diabetes-friendly recipe and nutrition materials.

  • At a distribution site with our Kankakee host organization Still I Rise, who spread the word to households in need.

  • Staff and volunteers collaborate to organize and hand out boxes full of food to 100-300 families at each event.

Improving Health Outcomes with CIGNA & CHH

The Chicago Youth Text2BHealthy Project

With the support of a $125,000 Cigna Foundation Healthier Kids For Our Future award, Cook County Health (CCH) and Top Box Foods joined together for the Chicago Youth Text2BHealthy Project, an innovative pilot program designed to improve the nutrition and physical activity of youth and their families through increased access to healthy food.

Over a 6 month period, 31 CCH pediatric patients of color who are overweight and experiencing food insecurity received weekly grocery deliveries, providing nutritious dinners for each patient and their family for five days per week.

To nudge participants toward long-term healthy behaviors, a Top Box Foods nutritionist facilitated culturally-informed dietary educational sessions and utilized a text-based communications system to promote Fitbit-tracked fitness challenges. Pediatric physicians at CCH tracked program impact on participant BMIz scores, metabolic markers such as HbA1c, and overall consumption of fruits and vegetables.

PROGRAM IMPACT ON YOUTH PARTICIPANTS:

55% saw improved BMIz scores

45% saw improvements in Triglyceride levels

35% lost weight

Most participants felt more confident during physical activity sessions,

saw development of positive self-body image and healthy relationship with food,

demonstrated understanding of how to plan everyday balanced meals

while engagement in previous eating disorder promoting behaviors reduced.

Customizable Grocery Boxes with AgeOptions

"When our older adult meal programs were overwhelmed with new clients due to the onset of the pandemic, Top Box moved quickly to help fill the need. Within weeks of our first call to them, Top Box developed custom grocery boxes to fit our program needs and started delivering to hundreds of our home-bound older adults throughout suburban Cook County. We have been thankful for their flexibility, dedication, and professionalism every step of the way and look forward to growing this popular program long after the current crisis ends." - Age Options, October 2020

BUILDING ON 3 YEARS OF PARTNERSHIP, OUR PROGRAMS OFFER:

Culturally-informed food options to reduce barriers to healthy food access for diverse communities including Halal, Hispanic, Kosher, and Vegetarian Boxes all planned in conjunction with older adult nutrition needs.

Flexible Delivery Options with Rush Hospital

From an in-hospital food pantry to grocery home deliveries to serve hospital patients experiencing food insecurity to emergency hunger relief efforts to support unhoused individuals to sponsoring food supplies for a network of church-based community food pantries, our collaboration with Rush Hospital does it all.

  • Julia Basset (Rush CHEE)at the Spring 2022 Grand Opening of the Rush Hospital Veggie Rx Pantry

  • Volunteers setting up food boxes at the New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church in  West Garfield Park

  • Volunteers distributing Thanksgiving turkeys and grocery boxes to 300 community members

  • The Rush Hospital Veggie Rx Pantry fridge full of fresh fruits and vegetables, delivered weekly for patients

  • Rush Hospital staff volunteering to deliver food boxes to households unable to access groceries in early COVID

  • A Food Is Medicine delivery for a Rush patient to address the Social Determinants of Health

  • Unloading a truckload of grocery boxes for Garfield Park community members after the closure of the Aldi market

  • A box full of fresh fruits and vegetables that will be delivered to a Rush Food Is Medicine program participant

  • Fishes and Loaves Ministry volunteers promoting a free food giveaway event to the community

READY TO PARTNER WITH US TO FEED YOUR COMUNITY,

ALLEVIATE FOOD INSECURITY,

AND PROMOTE EQUITABLE COMMUNITY HEALTH?

New Partner Contact Us Form

Partnerships in all shapes and sizes

From single-location distribution of any number of boxes to weekly recurring deliveries to participants' home, Top Box works with a myriad of partners in varied fields to achieve food access and improve health outcomes in the community. 

A snap shot of current and past partnerships:

  • AgeOptions

    Culturally-informed boxes tailored to senior nutrition and home delivered bi-weekly or weekly across suburban Cook County.

  • AIDS Foundation Chicago

    Nutritious boxes full of food delivered to homes and and housing sites.

  • Apostolic Faith Church

    Food boxes for distribution at Church community giveaway events.

  • BlueCross BlueShield & American Diabetes Association

    Diabetes-friendly boxes of food delivered to community events across Chicagoland.

  • Chicago Region Food System Fund & Forty Acres Fresh Market

    Facilitated Garfield Park Community Grocery Store Pop Up to serve residents in response to local store closures for 6 weeks.

  • Cigna Foundation & Cook County Health

    Chicago Text2BHealthy Project studied the impact of consistent access to healthy foods and physical activity through home deliveries and activities on pediatric health.

  • City of Chicago Department of Family and Support Services

    Senior Grocery Program provides home deliveries of tailored food for seniors and older adult caregivers.

  • Common Threads

    Virtual cooking classes for elementary students and their families through home delivered meal kit boxes.

  • Erie Family Health Centers

    A social determinants of health program providing clinic patients and community members with healthy food through home deliveries and community events.

  • Experimental Station

    A Link Match grant awarded to increase access to healthy fresh fruits and vegetables for Top Box Market customers.

  • Free Root Operation

    Home grocery deliveries to provide resources and support for women in the B.L.O.O.M. Cohort.

  • GusNip Produce Study

    Data-driven, culturally-informed pilot funded by a grant from the Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program-Produce
    Prescription Program aims to reduce chronic disease burden and food insecurity in Chicago.

  • Housing Authority of Cook County

    Monthly food deliveries to housing residents at suburban Cook County buildings.

  • Howard Brown Health

    Medically-tailored, nutritious boxes of food delivered to the homes of clinic patients and community members.

  • Humana & American Diabetes Association

    Diabetes-friendly boxes of food delivered to community events across Chicagoland alongside nutrition and cooking resources.

  • Inspiration Corporation

    Unique codes for residents to purchase their choice of healthy groceries, delivered to their homes.

  • Jewish United Fund & EZRA Senior Services Center

    Weekly home grocery deliveries to seniors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic risks of in-person food access.

  • Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

    Weekly home deliveries of participant selected groceries to qualifying hospital patients and families.

  • M.E.A.N. Girls Empowerment

    200 boxes full of food and other resources distributed at community event.

  • My Block, My Hood, My City

    Senior Grocery Program serving boxes full of food, PPE, and other household necessities to 100 households weekly with the support of volunteer delivery drivers.

  • National Louis University

    Unique codes for virtual NLU students to purchase their choice of healthy groceries, delivered to their homes.

  • New Mount Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church

    Church food pantry provides community members with boxes full of food.

  • New Trier Food Pantry

    Local food pantry provides community members with boxes full of food.

  • North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council

    Unique codes for 400 participating families in North Lawndale to purchase their choice of healthy groceries, delivered to their homes monthly.

  • Northern Illinois Food Bank

    Support food sourcing for food bank events across Northern Illinois.

  • Northwestern University

    Weekly home deliveries facilitating medical study on the impact of food exposure on allergy development of infants and young children.

  • Partnership for a Healthier America

    Produce delivery program increasing access weekly to fresh fruits and vegetables.

  • Rush Hospital

    A multi-initiative Food Is Medicine program for Rush patients including in-hospital food pantry, home grocery deliveries to discharged patients, and food giveaway events across Chicagoland.

  • Saint Sabina

    Church giveaway events provides community members with boxes full of food.

  • Sisters Working It Out

    Boxes full of produce given away to event attendees alongside healthcare education and resources.

  • Step Up for Mental Health

    Food provided through home deliveries and community events alongside other resources.

  • Trinity United Church of Christ

    Monthly food pantry facilitated by church staff and volunteers to provide healthy groceries for community members.

  • UIC

    Multiple food access and nutrition programs including meal kits and home delivered boxes full of food.

  • United Way

    Hundreds of holiday turkeys, produce, and sides boxes delivered to events at community sites.

  • West Side United School Produce Program

    Produce access program providing home delivered boxes full of fruits and vegetables to participating families at partner schools.

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