The Dream Vault will provide free, high-quality produce to more than 175 local households per week

CHICAGO, Oct. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- To improve health equity and food security in the Chicago market, Walgreens is joining forces with non-profit Dion's Chicago Dream to host a Dream Vault smart locker at the company's Gage Park location at 55^th and Kedzie (5435 S. Kedzie Avenue Chicago, IL). The Dream Vault is part of a collaboration between Dion's Chicago Dream and Walgreens to provide free, high-quality produce to more than 275 Chicagoland households-in-need – about 1,000 residents – every week.

Earlier this year, Walgreens began sponsoring Dream Deliveries, the nonprofit's weekly fresh produce delivery service, for 100 households in the city. Through the addition of Dream Vault, the collaboration will expand its reach to an additional 175 households, meeting the goal of reaching 275 Chicagoland households-in-need.

"Walgreens is proud to partner with Dion's Chicago Dream to support families in our Gage Park neighborhood. As a Chicago-based health and well-being company, we are pleased that for almost 125 years we have provided access to essential services such as prescriptions, immunizations, and over-the-counter medications. Our trusted products, ranging from vitamins to skincare, help our customers feel their best—inside and out," said Tracey Brown, Executive Vice President and President, Walgreens Retail and Chief Customer Officer. "By collaborating with local organizations like Dion's Chicago Dream, we aim to make a lasting impact and foster a healthier, more vibrant community for everyone."

Unveiled by Dion's Chicago Dream last year, the Dream Vault is a network-enabled bank of lockers designed to serve up to 200 households living within a one-mile radius with a week-long supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, at no cost to them. Recipients enter a code to pick up their free box of healthy produce.

"At one point in my life, I was a returning military veteran struggling to make ends meet. That's one reason why we put our Dream Vaults in places like Walgreens that provide the goods and services we need to thrive. Retail pharmacies are a great example of this," said Dion Dawson, Founder and Chief Dreamer of Dion's Chicago Dream. "My vision is that our Dream Vault participants never have to choose between eating healthy and buying their medication, or any other basic need."

Food insecurity is a serious problem in Gage Park, where nearly 21% of residents lack reliable, consistent access to healthy food (2019 data).