At a moment when increasing grocery prices and cuts to SNAP benefits and WIC funding loom over Chicagoans, one local resource is providing a growing beacon of hope: The Soul & Smoke Foundation. Founded by Heather Bublick and Chef D’Andre Carter of the BBQ and soul food restaurant, Soul & Smoke, the foundation is dedicated to promoting food security in Evanston.

Although their 501(c)(3) status was only finalized in October, Soul & Smoke’s investment in their community began years earlier. Like many during the pandemic, Bublick and Carter were driven by a desire to help others. Armed with a simple home fridge and the support of several Chicago chefs, they opened their first community fridge in 2021 at their flagship location in Evanston’s 5th Ward.

“Many think of Evanston as a place of great wealth,” explains Bublick. “And while we have great wealth, we also have great poverty.”

The 5th Ward, a historically redlined neighborhood, has faced decades of disinvestment. The median income there—between $45,000 and $55,000 — is is just 50% of what the city’s overall median income reports. For many residents, the community fridge has been a lifeline.

Bublick, Carter, and their network of fellow chefs supported the community through the pandemic feeding 200 people daily. They’ve continued to provide food via their community fridge ever since, though this summer’s record-high temps wore the home fridge out. Soul & Smoke was forced to pause the program until they could find a more permanent solution.

The answer came several weeks later at a serendipitous moment.

On the very day their nonprofit status became official, food-service supply company Boelter gifted Bublick and Carter a new commercial-grade fridge—the Foundation’s first formal donation. The new fridge holds more food and is capable of withstanding weather conditions year-round.

The community response has been enormous. “They always come out,” Bublick says. “Every time I’m outside, there’s someone either putting food in or taking food out.”

During the holidays, Soul & Smoke relies on fellow chefs to help stock the fridge. Past contributors include teams from Prairie Grass Cafe, Luella’s Southern Kitchen, Parachute, and Floriole, among others. Over the next few months, contributions will come from chefs at JT’s Genuine Sandwich Shop, eden, Saigon Sisters, and more.

“So much of the fridge is about dignity and having delicious, chef-made, restaurant-quality food,” says Bublick. “That’s what chefs do—we feed people. Being able to do it with no questions asked and knowing that people are being taken care of is everything.”

The community fridge benefits local chefs, too. “As chefs, we all have so much food waste,” Bublick explains. “I’ll do anything I can do to get restaurants thinking about the fridge as a place to put their surplus food.”

Thanks to the program, Soul & Smoke has virtually eliminated its own food waste. Ingredients that would have been composted are now repurposed into delicious meals that nourish the community.

The fridge is just the first step in the Soul & Smoke Foundation’s investment in the community.

Next up: installing heated-pipe water fountains near the fridge to ensure access to fresh drinking water year-round.

Soul & Smoke is also expanding its temporary warehouse eatery into a full-service restaurant. While community members can currently access water from a self-serve dispenser, Bublick worries that might change once the new space opens. The new fountains will ensure access remains open, free, and dignified — no questions asked.

In the long term, the Foundation aims to create leadership opportunities for long-time Soul & Smoke employees through franchise partnerships. With official nonprofit status, Bublick and Carter can now pursue grants to help make that vision a reality. “It’s all about building generational wealth,” says Bublick.

Chicagoans looking to support the Soul & Smoke Foundation have many options. In addition to purchasing community meals at Soul & Smoke’s merch store, members of the community are encouraged to help keep the fridge stocked.

While raw ingredients are always welcome, Bublick notes that clearly labeled, safely packaged prepared meals can make a meaningful difference for neighbors who don’t have time to cook. “Many people are working minimum wage jobs and taking care of their families,” she explains.

This simple step helps support the Soul & Smoke Foundation’s goal: to create an environment where community members can get the resources they need, and do so with dignity.

The Soul & Smoke Foundation’s community fridge is located at 1601 Payne St, Evanston, IL 60201. It’s open to anyone in need, 24-hours a day.