About Us

Since 2020, we have distributed over 22,000 burritos throughout the city of Chicago.

Our History

Burrito Brigade Chicago started in the summer of 2020 in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago. Founders and organizers CJ and Kelly started making burritos in their kitchen following in the footsteps of the original Burrito Brigade in Eugene, OR and Burrito Brigade Portland, which they were also involved in. Read more about the Oregon Brigades here.

The first several Chicago Brigades were socially distanced with volunteers signing up to chop vegetables at home and drop off to a central location where a small group would assemble the burritos and then delivered to homeless camps, shelters, and other organizations doing food distribution such as the Love Fridges.

In the fall of 2021, Burrito Brigade Chicago started to operate out of Morgan Park Presbyterian Church and began coordinating with other local organizations including Testimony Ministry, Edna White Community Garden, Critical Mass, 19th Ward Mutual Aid and Stuffed Love. We have grown from making 300 burritos per Brigade to over 500 burritos per Brigade.

“These are people that very much need help, who are very grateful for it, there’s just so much humanity there.”

— Jim, Bike Team Volunteer

Our Mission

To feed the unhoused and hungry of Illinois through a local community network of personal donors and nonprofit partnerships, while engaging our community in the fight to end hunger.

2024 Highlights

12 program dates (Brigades)
4,490 burritos made and delivered
61 unique volunteers across all Brigades
660 total volunteer hours across all volunteers and all Brigades
$22,961 estimated dollar value of volunteer time according to independentsector.org

197 cumulative volunteers across all Brigades
7 community organizations collaborating on donations and distribution
$1 cost per burrito made when determined over course of 2024

Burrito Brigade in the News

Mutual aid doc features biking and burrito distribution partnership

Streetsblog Chicago
Film highlights how Cycling x Solidarity and Burrito Brigade fight hunger and build community.

ARTICLE
Chicago! A Mutual Aid Story

Documentary by Felicity Daleccio
Volunteers in the kitchen and on the bike team are featured for their work in the community.

VIDEO
Burrito Brigade fights hunger

The Beverly Review
A local charitable group is doing good throughout the South Side—one burrito at a time.

ARTICLE