ChiFresh Kitchen received a grant from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development for $70,000 for the FY 2023-2024, and since 2021 has received three grants totaling $205,000.
ChiFresh Kitchen claims its mission is to “promote food sovereignty, racial justice, and equitable food access in the city” of Chicago. However, ChiFresh is not a viable candidate for a CCHD grant due to its membership and intimate involvement in an organization known as the United States Federation of Worker’s Cooperatives (USFWC) that has voiced pro-LGBTQ, pro-abortion and Marxist/socialist sentiments.
Furthermore, during our investigation of ChiFresh, we attempted on multiple occasions to verify that the organization was in fact in operation. Despite repeated phone calls, voice messages, emails, and even a site visit during regular hours of operation, we have received no response, and observed no operational activity that would indicate that ChiFresh is even a currently functioning organization.
Dues Payment to USFWC
The CCHD absolutely forbids organizations from coalition membership in organizations acting against Catholic teaching. In an FAQ on the USCCB website, the CCHD directly answers the question about whether grantees may be members of coalitions that oppose Catholic teachings. In answer, the CCHD firmly states, “CCHD will not fund groups that are knowingly members of coalitions that have as part of their organizational purpose or coalition agenda, positions or actions that contradict fundamental Catholic moral and social teaching.”
By virtue of this grant requirement, ChiFresh Kitchen should not have received a CCHD grant due to their membership and membership payments made to the United States Federation of Worker Cooperatives.
You can access the USFWC membership page here.
ChiFresh Kitchen is not only a member of USFWC, Chifresh’s president, Kimberly Britt, is also board member. The following is on the USFWC Board Members Page:
USFWC support for LGBTQ, and abortion
The USFWC is openly pro-LGBTQ, proudly stating in their 2023 report that the USFWC consulting team generated hundreds of thousands for social justice causes including LGBTQ justice. You can access the USFWC 2023 Annual Report here.
The USFWC has also promoted more LGBTQ material on its website such as this 2019 article:
On April 14, 2020, the USFWC had voiced support for abortion access in a pamphlet it released regarding Hawaii’s reaction to COVID19, accessible here.
USFWC Involvement With LGBTQ and Communist themed tours
The USFWC is also co-sponsoring a project primarily developed by the organization, Human Agenda.
This Human Agenda and USFWC collaboration project conducts what are called “Emulation Tours.” These Marxist themed tours consist of visiting several unsavory destinations.
In the above image, you can see one of said stops on this tour is CENESEX, a collaborative partner of The International Planned Parenthood Federation which “educates” on subjects such as LGBTQ and contraception.
If this wasn’t enough of a flagrant violation of the CCHD’s grant guidelines, these “Emulation Tours” also made a stop at Cuba’s Fidel Castro Center, a museum created as an homage to the late communist, and the Cuban Revolution.
The Emulation Tour also posted photos where the tourists are demonstrating with a group of protestors representing the Libre Poder Popular, a movement seeking a democratic socialist state in Honduras.
Conclusion:
Our investigation shows ChiFresh was in violation of CCHD grant guidelines due to its membership, dues payments and collaboration in USFWC. Furthermore, we were unable to confirm the operational existence of ChiFresh, warranting further investigation by CCHD for waste of grant funds.
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