During the pandemic, Oak Parker Donnie Biggins, founder and operator of Robert’s Westside in Forest Park, saw many existing social inequalities grow. Wanting to help others in the area, he decided to take action against food insecurity, an issue that he knew he could “make a positive impact on.”
That action became Food Aid. Since 2022, the annual music festival has been dedicated to combatting food insecurity. Now in its fourth year, Food Aid’s mission has remained the same: “to prevent individuals and their families from experiencing hunger.”
Robert’s Westside, along with WBEZ as a presenting partner, is hosting Food Aid 2025 on Aug. 22 and 23. Rock band Cracker will headline the event, with openers The Shams Band (self-described as “rock n’roll with a banjo”) on Aug. 22 and Chicago based Americana artist Rachel Swain on Aug. 23. Robert’s Westside is at 7321 Madison St.
This year, the festival is introducing the Food Aid Block Party at O’Sullivan’s Public House on Aug. 23, an event that will be “family friendly and fun for all ages,” said Biggins. The block party will be free with donations collected on site. DJ Bounce House, Cheryl Tomblin, Maggie’s Farm, The Szurko Trio, Haymaker, and High & Lonesome will perform at the Block Party. O’Sullivan’s is at 7244 Madison St.
Food Aid takes a local approach to this global issue, supporting community organizations based on the West Side and the near west suburbs. Proceeds from the event will go to A House in Austin, Austin Eats Initiative, Best of Proviso Township, Beyond Hunger, the Oak Park Community Fridges, and the Westchester Food Pantry.
In its first three years, the festival raised over $25,000 to combat food insecurity in Chicago’s Westside and surrounding areas. This year’s goal is to raise $20,000 for the cause.
As federal budget cuts are due to decrease SNAP access – putting around 360,000 Illinoisans at risk of losing benefits – it is the community’s responsibility to step in, said Biggins. “Food insecurity is still on the rise and all of our beneficiaries need the support of our community,” he said. “It is up to us to help each other because the government continues to fail and have made things even worse for those who are food insecure.”
Berwyn-based musician Cheryl Lynn Tomblin has performed at the Food Aid Festival since the event began in 2022. This year, she will be performing with her group PIPES
during the Food Aid Block Party. The festival has grown every year, she said, and is inclusive of “all ages” and “all types of genres.”
Tomblin said that attending the event is a great way to learn more about the resources available to those experiencing food insecurity. “If people know that there are larger organizations that are there to support, maybe it will help to take some of the personal negative connotations away from the fact that one might need to go to the food pantry to get the things they might need,” she said.
For people who might be experiencing food insecurity for the first time, Tomblin said that the Food Aid festival can help to show people that they “aren’t alone” and that they “do not have to go far to access these resources.”
Food Aid is also a chance to explore the local music scene and hear local bands, said Tomblin. “I think that it’s just going to help to strengthen the community and bring these two things (music and the fight against hunger) together,” she said. “And it’s going to help both communities grow; musically, absolutely, but most important is the social awareness. And that’s the main point of the Food Aid festival.”
General admission is $50 plus service fees. Reserved table + GA is $60 per seat plus service fees. More information is available at foodaidfestival.com.
The Food Aid Block Party is free. If you would like to make a tax deductible donation by check instead of cash, Food Aid asks you to write a check directly to one of the beneficiaries (the festival does not have a 501c3).
