Reporting and analysis of the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
Last week, Chicago hosted politicians, celebrities, journalists and thousands of other visitors from other cities for the Democratic National Convention.
But the city also made efforts to do its part.
The convention worked with the city, including Chief Sustainability Officer Angela Tovar, and other partners to rescue and donate 26,746 pounds of leftover food. 22,288 meals were distributed to more than a dozen churches and nonprofits in the Chicago area. The donation was part of the event’s sustainability plan, which also included efforts to eliminate waste, reduce emissions and reuse materials. Local organizations Bright Beat and Purpose served as sustainability consultants and helped the event take a comprehensive, community-focused approach, according to a spokesperson for the convention committee.
Bright Beat founder Stephanie Katsaros and Purpose founder Marley Finnegan spoke about the importance of food rescue in a statement to the Sun-Times.
“Sustainability is a critical element of the Democratic National Convention and we are proud to see our efforts pay off,” they said. “Implementing food rescue was a top priority for the convention because it reduces environmental impact and has a lasting, positive impact on the community. We are grateful to our partners at Levy (Restaurants), the United Center, McCormick Place and the City of Chicago for working with us to host the most sustainable convention in history.”
DNC Committee Sustainability Advisors Marley Finnegan (second from left) and Stephanie Katsaros (center) work with volunteers and Levy staff to package leftover food and distribute it to Chicagoans in need.
Courtesy of the Democratic National Convention Committee
Breakthrough Urban Ministries was one of the recipients of the food assistance. The nonprofit provides the Garfield Park community with shelter, food, mental health services, educational programs and more. According to case manager Arica Weathers, the organization was able to feed about 40 people with the congressional meal donations, which included Italian beef sandwiches.
The impact of the donation underscores the growing need in the neighborhood, Weathers said.
“Donations are running low, so the donations have allowed us to keep food in stock that we would have otherwise had to use,” she said. “Especially in our community, there really aren’t enough resources.”
Other recipients included Covenant House, Franciscan Outreach, CIRCLE Foundation-Benton House, Dunamis Life Church, Hope Church Pilsen, Thresholds, New Life Covenant, Calmeca Academy, Bethel Temple and Rebano, according to the congressional committee.
Pans of food rescued from the Democratic National Convention.
Courtesy of Chicago Chief Sustainability Officer Angela Tovar
By donating and composting the food scraps, the DNC limited the amount of waste sent to landfills, thereby reducing methane and gas production, according to data provided by a DNC committee spokesperson. The congressional committee reported that 93,886 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions were diverted from landfills and more than 5.3 million gallons of water were saved.
Under the guidance of Katsaros and Finnegan, those involved in the meeting have been implementing sustainable practices and collecting data on everything from participants’ emissions from their travel and sustainable menus to sustainability initiatives at hotels and tree-planting campaigns, the spokesperson said. The team hopes the sustainability practices will continue after the meeting, they said.
