Dion Dawson wouldn’t call himself an inventor, but he knew that there had to be a better way of getting healthy food to people who need it. And so…he invented it. Dion’s Chicago Dream is a nonprofit organization that deploys food differently. Launched in February 2021, Dion’s Chicago Dream delivers more than 100 “Dream Deliveries” of food each week to family homes throughout Chicagoland communities. Now, Dion’s Chicago Dream has received a $25,000 grant from the Thierer Family Foundation to help scale its operations and supply more Dream Deliveries. The Foundation also has pledged an additional $25,000 as a match to donations received up to the same amount. The grant will underwrite food delivery to households in Chicago’s Austin community, where the Thierer Family Foundation has introduced OpenShelf. OpenShelf is an online portal where people who need food, and people who provide food, are connected. The website makes it easier for neighbors in need to find specific types of food, at no cost, close to home and when pick-up is most convenient for them. The centerpiece of the website is the Food Finder Map, which helps people plan their pantry needs online and learn where and when food is available nearby. OpenShelf is active in Chicago’s Austin community now, and will expand to other neighborhoods later this year. Key to Dion’s approach, is listening and being responsive to those who receive a Dream delivery. Dawson is a U.S. Navy Veteran who served as a mass communications specialist from 2010 to 2015.