Eight-Year-Old Organizes Grocery Giveaway in Englewood

Alex Anning distributed 500 grocery bags at Montessori School of Englewood, raising more than $5,000 with the Illinois Network of Charter Schools.

Updated on Nov. 7, 2026 in Philanthropy

Plain kraft paper grocery bags stacked on a weathered wooden table outdoors in front of a blurred brick building. — An 8-year-old named Alex Anning organized a giveaway distributing 500 bags of groceries at the Montessori School of Englewood, raising more than $5,000 with the Illinois Network of Charter Schools. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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An 8-year-old named Alex Anning organized a grocery giveaway that distributed 500 bags of groceries at the Montessori School of Englewood on Friday afternoon. Organizers raised more than $5,000 for the event in partnership with the Illinois Network of Charter Schools.

Why it matters

The giveaway was organized to help families worried about not having enough food in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood. It also reflects the community impact of local food insecurity and youth-led philanthropy.

Organizers prepared 500 grocery bags containing bread, pasta sauce, macaroni and cheese, meat, milk and vegetable oil. The event raised more than $5,000, though the extraction does not specify how many households were served.

The players

Alex Anning

An 8-year-old organizer who was motivated after seeing a homeless person begging while his family drove past in 2025.

Illinois Network of Charter Schools

A statewide association of public charter schools that partnered with organizers to prepare and fund the grocery bags.

The details

Volunteers packed the bags, carried them to outdoor tables near the playground, and handed them to parents and residents. Students from the University of Chicago Divinity School volunteered, and the event also honored Javits Frimpong, a 15-year-old from Ghana who was shot and killed in New York City last week.

Last year: Alex led his first grocery drive for his 8th birthday.
Friday: The grocery giveaway was held at the Montessori School of Englewood.
Monday: Alex Anning turns 9 years old.

Philanthropy Landscape

The giveaway responds directly to the loss of SNAP benefits, such as the $800 monthly support that Abenaa Adjei lost in October. It shows how changes to federal food assistance translate into immediate demand on community-led relief efforts in Chicago.

Families in the Englewood area facing food shortages gained access to groceries through the giveaway. Residents who lost or are at risk of losing SNAP benefits may look to community food distributions like this one for short-term support.

The takeaway

Community-driven efforts can meet immediate food needs when families face benefit losses. Residents seeking help or looking to support similar efforts can connect through local charter school networks and neighborhood organizers.