Planned Giving Provides Critical Support in Fight Against Hunger

Henry Smogolski

Henry Smogolski and his late wife,
Isabel.

For Henry Smogolski, making a planned gift to the Food Depository just made sense.

"I looked at the operation and GCFD does so much good work," he says. "You can get a lot of bang for your buck."

Henry grew up in Chicago and started his career at a private savings and loan, which expanded to multiple branches and then went public. He and his wife, Isabel, started donating in 1996. Before Isabel passed away in 2010, the Smogolskis began making annual gifts to the Food Depository through a charitable lead trust, which passes along assets to the next generation while also donating to charity.

"To whom much is given, much is expected, and we wanted to give back to a good cause," he says.

At a time when over 800,000 people in Cook County need help putting food on their table, every gift to the Greater Chicago Food Depository is absolutely critical as we fight to end hunger.

The consistency of planned giving from families like the Smogolskis is especially important as the Food Depository continues to respond to increased need in the community. This stability enables the Food Depository to purchase more food, strengthen its network, invest in programs, and keep pace with the need by distributing the equivalent of 163,000 meals every day.

To learn more about making a planned gift to the Food Depository — or listing the Food Depository in your will, living trust, or life insurance policy — contact Natalie A. Ramos at 773-843-6907 or nramos@gcfd.org.