Foundation partners with Chicago food pantries to hand out smoke alarms

by: Gaynor Hall, Andrew Smith

Posted: Aug 6, 2023 / 06:23 PM CDT

Updated: Aug 6, 2023 / 06:23 PM CDT

CHICAGO — The Chicago Fire Department Foundation is teaming up with local food pantries to get working smoke detectors to people who need them.

The National Fire Protection Association found the risk of dying in a home fire is significantly higher when there are no smoke alarms or they don’t work.

“The working smoke alarm is absolutely critical,” Chris Hasbrook, the co-founder of the Chicago Fire Department Foundation, said.

The program launched two years ago and is now working with eight local food pantries to get more smoke detectors in homes.

“Part of our mission is to educate and help serve the needs of fire safety in Chicago and we’ve bene working to find partners to donate smoke alarms,” Hasbrook said. “They know the need of the people who need smoke alarms and need that kind of help.”

Nourishing Hope fights food insecurity in Chicago and provides the equivalent of four million meals every year.

The non-profit recently gave out 500 smoke detectors in less than a month through their online market.

“The online market is one of a kind in the City of Chicago,” Jennie Hull, the non-profit’s chief program officer, said. “People basically place their orders online, they pull up, we put food in their cars. When they’re placing their orders, they can add a smoke detector to their cart and pick it up with their groceries.”

In 2022, the program distributed 3,000 free smoke detectors through pantries.

The fire department foundation says this year, it will surpass that number to help meet the critical needs of sustenance and safety.

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