GOD'S GANG FOOD PANTRY EMPTY;
PLANS SUIT AGAINST CHA
Excerpt from Chicago Defender February 19, 2002
by Joe Ruklick, staff reporter
Chicago Housing Authority officials were scrambling Monday in hopes of finding a warehouse to replace the one lost by charitable food distributer God's Gang.
The CHA tenant run organization distributes some 3,000 lbs. of food to up to 100 people weekly according to founder, Carolyn Thomas, but demolition plans for its warehouse and distribution center forced the 30 year old organization into the streets Monday.
At 48th and Wabash Avenue, some 100 protestors, God's Gang officials and housing advocates gathered with two geese in a cage to protest the alleged failure by CHA to live up to an month old contract to find suitable replacement for the warehouse, whose lease ran out last month.
The rally signaled the last distribution of God's Gang food as workers unloaded plastic bags of staples from the organization's familiar white delivery truck. The geese represented produce raised by CHA residents who earned money from urban farming, worm and fish growing and from a neighborhood library.
"Terry Peterson promised us a site eight months ago, by January 22nd" , said Thomas of CHA's executive director and housing agency officials who, she said, agreed to find replacement warehouse that meets health department standards. "Now we can't get food from the Chicago Food Depository because we have no place that meets inspection standards. This is our last food, we have no place to go."
"We are preparing a complaint to sue CHA for breech of contract. There seems to be no other way to force CHA to live up to its word.", (God's Gang lawyer Charles) Petrof said.
Corrections to the Defender article:
God's Gang is a 20 year-old. Community /CHA tenant run, organization that was distributing 3,000 to 10,000 lbs. of food per month to100 families before the forced closing of the warehouse.
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GOD'S GANG FILES SUIT ON CHA
On March 19th, Attorney Charles Petrof filed a suit in behalf of God's Gang for breach of contract. Supporters and members of God's Gang traveled to the Daley Civic Center carrying signs and one of the organization's ducks.
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GOD'S GANG MEETS WITH ALDERMAN TILLMAN
On Friday, April 18th, representatives from God's Gang and their sponsors unsuccessfully met with Alderman Dorothy Tillman in her office to request her support in the group's efforts to obtain a new site as promised by CHA officials.
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