As Lollapalooza sets to welcome hundreds of thousands of attendees to Grant Park next week, a dedicated team of volunteers will work diligently behind the scenes to combat food insecurity in Chicago.
This effort is spearheaded by Musically Fed, a nonprofit organization based in Phoenix and founded by Maria Brunner. The concept for the organization emerged during Brunner’s early career in the music industry, where she noticed a troubling trend while working on tours for well-known artists like The Beach Boys, Eric Clapton, and Earth, Wind & Fire.
Brunner expressed deep concern upon witnessing the waste of food at these events, noting that much of it went uneaten while there were insufficient systems to recycle or compost leftovers.
Statistics reveal that in the United States, approximately one-third of all available food is wasted, a fact that motivated Brunner to establish Musically Fed.
The nonprofit collaborates with artists, promoters, management, and venues nationwide to rescue excess food, particularly artist and crew catering, VIP meals, and leftover concessions.
During the four-day festival, Musically Fed volunteers will be stationed at crew and artist catering tents throughout Lollapalooza.
Their approach is straightforward: they engage with chefs and catering staff to determine if there are any leftovers from meals. If food is available, the volunteers assist in packing it, securing it in what is referred to as a ‘polar cooler.’
These meals are then distributed to local organizations in Chicago that support unhoused individuals, veterans, women in crisis, and low-income families. Notable beneficiaries of the effort include Deborah’s Place, Pacific Garden Mission, Care For Real, and Lincoln Park Community Services.
This marks the fifth consecutive year that Musically Fed has partnered with Lollapalooza, and according to Brunner, Chicago represents a significant market for their initiatives. Over the past four years, Musically Fed’s participation in the festival has led to the donation of nearly 30,000 meals to local nonprofits.
Despite this long-standing relationship with the festival, Brunner believes that many attendees remain unaware of the extent of food insecurity in the United States and the vital role Musically Fed plays in addressing this issue.
She attributes this lack of awareness to insufficient media coverage and limited marketing efforts from Lollapalooza, stating, ‘If you don’t talk about it and you don’t feature it, you’re not going to know about it. And if you don’t know about it, you can’t help it.’
Food insecurity and advocacy may not be top-of-mind for many festival-goers, but Brunner emphasizes that it is an issue that warrants attention from everyone.
‘One day, it could be them,’ she cautioned. ‘It probably is their neighbor. It’s probably the older couple that lives down the street. It’s there. It’s around them. They may not want to see it or maybe they don’t know about it.’
Brunner stresses the importance of raising awareness and engaging the public in the fight against hunger in Chicago and beyond.
She encourages individuals to take action in their own communities, suggesting that people assess their own food supplies and contribute to local food pantries.
‘Understand the power, the magical power you as a human being have to help someone else,’ she remarked with enthusiasm. ‘Oh my gosh — it goes to infinity.’
image source from：audacy
