I am a resident of North Lawndale, Chicago, and a participant in the VeggieRx program since its inception. This program was a beacon of hope for me when I was struggling with health issues, relying on insulin and walking with a cane. It introduced me to the world of healthy eating - teaching me about protein, label reading, healthy fats and introducing vegetables like kale, squash and avocado into my diet.

However, recently Windy City Harvest has deviated from their initial commitment. Instead of providing local vegetables from local farms as promised initially, they have been distributing apples, oranges, carrots and celery - most of which are sourced out-of-state. This is not in line with the spirit of the grant that funds this program.

Furthermore, they have ceased offering Spanish/English cooking demonstrations that allowed us to sample vegetables foreign to us or perhaps outside our food budget. These demonstrations were more than just cooking classes; they were platforms for community engagement and learning.

This petition calls on Windy City Harvest to honor their original commitment by supplying local vegetables from local farms as initially promised. We also demand the reinstatement of Spanish/English cooking demonstrations which provided invaluable knowledge about diverse vegetable varieties.

Let's hold them accountable for their promises made to our community in North Lawndale! Please sign this petition if you believe in our cause.