Harvest Dinner 2025

Thank you for being part of our special farm-to-fork experience

Your support provides Southside youth a safe space to access valuable resources and experiences. Young people are building skills, exploring their interests, and creating brighter futures for themselves in out-of-schooltime programs.

Harvest Dinner featured food grown on our youth-led urban farm by our Urban Farmer Apprentices and prepared by our Culinary Arts Apprentices under the mentorship of distinguished Chicago chefs: Chris Jung of Maxwells Trading, Jason Barnicle of Bang Bang Pies & Biscuits, Mychael Bonner of CMB Catering, Rafa Esparza of Lettuce Entertain You, Darnell Reed of Luella's Southern Kitchen, Constance Simms-Kincaid of Mabe's Deli, Marissa Terry of Her-Bachi, and Pitmaster Daniel Hammond of Smoky Soul.

Guests toured our rooftop garden with leaders from our Comer FFA chapter, enjoyed farm inspired cocktails, then enjoyed a magical evening at the Comer Crops Youth Farm enjoying gourmet dishes prepared by our Apprentices, viewed a first screening of our mini-documentary on our food system programs, and witnessed the groundbreaking of the GCYC Food Sovereignty Hub.

Save the Date: Thursday, September 17, 2026

To learn more about supporting next year's event, or supporting GCYC's life changing programs, contact Dr. Jeannyne Staten at jstaten@gcychome.org