Spare Some Voucher For Something To Eat?

By Camela Furry in Miscellaneous on Oct 29, 2009 2:40PM

The good folks at Gapers Block tipped us off to an organization called Chicago Shares that found a creative way for us to help a homeless person on the street without hesitating or stopping to reach in our pockets. Chicago Shares sells vouchers in $1.00 increments which are redeemable for food and personal care items by area merchants. You can purchase a book of 5 vouchers for $5.00 by mail, or at participating locations.

When a voucher is spent, Chicago Shares reimburses the merchant. In March 2009 Chicago Shares said it reimbursed four participating merchants over $1,000 which provided more than 200 meals to people in the area of those merchants. Funds from vouchers that are not redeemed are donated to organizations whose mission is to feed the hungry.