In Oak Park, Forgotten Harvest takes a different approach. Originally founded as a food rescue organization, it focuses on reclaiming surplus food from grocery stores, restaurants, and farms. Today, it operates as a hybrid distributor with warehouse storage and its own fleet of trucks, though its food rescue mission remains core to its identity.

“This year alone, we’ve absorbed a cut of about $740,000, which represents roughly 400,000 pounds of food,” CEO Adrian Lewis says. “This could be seen as a major crisis for our area.”

While Forgotten Harvest and Gleaners rely on a mix of funding streams, including state programs, private donations, and food industry partners, Lewis says the sudden federal pullback puts pressure on emergency food providers to work much harder to meet the same goals.

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