My name is Hannah Roucher, and I’m Support+Feed’s City Coordinator for Chicago! I’ve been with the organization for nearly nine months, organizing food distributions, cooking demos, and community education events that bring people together around food insecurity and climate issues. I’ve lived in Chicago for four years and currently reside in Lincoln Square on the city’s north side.
My professional background spans culinary arts, psychology, and public health, all of which connect to my passion for community food and health equity. I love the unique work of Support+Feed, which addresses immediate needs by providing restaurant-quality, plant-based meals, while also tackling long-term challenges like the climate crisis, health inequities, and food access. The organization’s emphasis on plant-based solutions resonates deeply with me, since what we eat has such a powerful impact on both our climate and food system.
One of my favorite recent events was a cooking demo on August 13, held in partnership with local soy products company Phoenix Bean at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital’s Community Flavors class. This program celebrates the diversity of the surrounding communities through food, along with learning about the nutritional value of foods, tips to increase vegetable intake and more. In this session, Pam from Phoenix Bean prepared three dishes using three different types of tofu – including tofu puff French toast! Participants also sampled tofu noodles, salads, and fresh soy milk. Many who had never enjoyed tofu before, or even really knew what it was, were surprised by its versatility and flavor.
Chicago is an amazing city, but like in so many other places, we face inequities in wealth and resources that create deep disparities in health and food access. I’m grateful to be part of the incredible food justice and chef communities here, who continually come together in times of high need and uncertainty to support one another.