CHICAGO – Now that the “Big Beautiful Bill” has been signed into law, millions are bracing for the biggest cut to food assistance in years.
The new federal budget takes away $200 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). In Illinois, that means hundreds of thousands may have to turn to nonprofits.
In a Fox 32 special report, one group on the South Side says moments like these are exactly why they exist.
Local perspective:
“It’s always ways we could better taking care of our people,” said Dion Dawson.
And two appliances show how far choosing to care can go. A freestanding fridge sits outside in Englewood, stocked with fruits, veggies and essentials. It was open day and night through the COVID lockdown and served hundreds a week. Now it sits just steps away from a walk-in that feeds thousands.
“We’re now up to 51 employees. We’re providing about 200,000 pounds of fresh produce that we purchase, pack, and deliver per month,” Dawson said.
Dawson grew up without steady access to food. His personal experience drove him to act. In 2020, he started with one fridge and a simple idea, fresh food for anyone who needs it. Today, his team sends out trucks from a warehouse to 180 zip codes.
“Our radius is about 50 miles. Yeah, we have drivers that will be out in Madison. We’ll have some that be super far west suburbs,” Dawson said.
Big picture view:
And those same neighborhoods may soon see even more need. The “Big Beautiful Bill” slashes SNAP funding by $186 billion over the next 10 years.
Dion says new work rules will make it harder for older adults, parents of teens, veterans, foster youth and people without stable housing to keep their benefits. In Illinois, more than 130,000 people could lose SNAP altogether.
“We’re not balking at what’s happening right now. If anything, we’re more emboldened, and we’re planting our feet,” Dawson said.
What they’re saying:
That conviction showed up on the Dion’s Chicago Dream Instagram page, where photos warn that by 2028, states will cover more of SNAP costs, with Illinois paying extra if it makes too many payment mistakes. SNAP-Ed, the program that teaches nutrition and healthy eating, will be cut entirely. Dawson says the Instagram post is a warning, but also a call to push forward.
“When I see people not understanding just how dire it is, I think about the education. I think about how we speak. I think about, you know, how expletive we are in our language, and if every day we’re just talking about you know, the boy cry wolf, if everything is a fire every day, that people become desensitized,” Dawson said.
He wants action that speaks louder than fear – a promise he plans to deliver by opening a new Dreamville campus in Englewood before the year ends.
“It’s going to a 20,000-square-foot facility that’s going actually have increased capabilities for our logistics and operations. We’ll able to create production by a million pounds per month,” Dawson said.
Why you should care:
That kind of scale only matters if the mission stays personal. Big names have praised the work, but Dawson says it still comes down to one promise — to care.
“Hope is important, and we want to make that they understand that not only are we nervous, but we’re nervously optimistic,” Dawson said.
“You’re not a bystander in this society and in this democracy. So OK, you feel like that, how can you help? How can you put yourself in a position to be helped? Because we want to make sure that they’re seen. But also, we empower them to help somebody else,” Dawson said.
What you can do:
Anyone who needs help or wants to help can go to dionschicagodream.com. There, you can sign up for deliveries and you can give directly to support jobs and buy fresh food.
The Source: This story was reported and written by Fox 32’s Terrence Lee, who interviewed Dion Dawson, the founder of Dion’s Chicago Dream, for firsthand insights and quotes.
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