With nearly seven million U.S. households forced to skip meals due to severe financial strain, there is a critical shortage of food resources nationally — and this problem is particularly prevalent among the communities Rush serves. That’s where Rush’s Food Is Medicine – Veggie Rx program steps in.
The program is rooted in the idea that true health encompasses more than just medical interventions but also access to fundamental needs, including nutrition. Through food pantries and community food distributions, the Food Is Medicine program supports Rush’s commitment to provide a solution to food insecurity for patients and neighbors.
Since it was launched in 2022, the Food Is Medicine program has grown into one of Rush’s most impactful and measurable health equity initiatives, serving thousands of patients, students and staff across the system each year.
As uncertainty mounts around SNAP benefits and community members face record-high rates of food price inflation, demand for the services provided by Rush’s Food Is Medicine program has never been higher.
After learning about the program, Jean Brennan and her children, Jack Brennan and Kelly Powell, longtime supporters of Rush, sought not only to sustain this vital initiative but also to expand it. Their generous philanthropic gift is helping accelerate the program’s ability to serve more households, expand access to fresh produce and strengthen navigation support through Rush’s community health workers. In particular, it enabled Rush to establish a new food pantry in the Rush Oak Park Hospital Emergency Department, adding to Rush’s two existing on-site food pantries at Rush University Medical Center.
Julia Bassett, director of the Food Is Medicine program, noted that there is a significant need for increased food access at Rush Oak Park Hospital.
“Rush Oak Park Hospital is the destination hospital for a lot of patients from Austin, Maywood and Bellwood,” Bassett said. “These communities are in high need and high demand for food. In Maywood and Bellwood, there is only one grocery store within the radius of their ZIP code. We want to be able to support these communities holistically.”
Kelly and Jack are proud to support the program. As graduates of Fenwick High School in Oak Park, they feel a personal connection to the community.
“We’re excited to support the program’s growth, so Rush can reach additional underserved families who are dealing with health and food inequities in our backyard,” Jack said.
Closing the gap for patients
In addition to supporting the creation of the new food pantry, the family’s gift allowed the program to hire a new community health worker, Kiara Moore, at Rush Oak Park Hospital. Moore will lead and manage the daily operations of the new pantry, while also connecting patients to services.
“When a patient is identified as being food insecure, they will get a referral from the Emergency Department to the Food Is Medicine program,” Bassett said. “Patients can also access all the resources available to them via text message.”
Moore and other community health workers meet with patients during their visits to Rush’s Emergency Department or one of 27 participating Rush clinics. Those in need of resources are referred to on-site food pantries. There, patients can “shop” for nutritious foods at no cost. Patients receive fresh produce, pantry staples and protein.
Afterward, individuals receive up to five additional food deliveries, depending on their needs, at their home. They also receive support with enrolling in long-term food assistance programs.
“A really unique thing about the program is how we’re able to deliver resources and close the gap for patients to help them gain access to not only nutritious foods but also transportation, housing, specialty care, etc.,” Bassett said.
The food pantries are also available to Rush University students experiencing food insecurity. The program is distinct from the broader hunger safety net in Chicago, as it recognizes nutrition as chronic disease prevention, management and treatment.
Additionally, the Brennan family’s support is helping to provide essential supplies, ensuring that all three food pantries remain well stocked and ready to serve the community.
Continuing their family’s legacy
Jack and Kelly are continuing a family tradition of leadership, service and philanthropic support. Their family has been supporting Rush for nearly 40 years, which all started with a $50 gift made by their grandfather, Edward “Ed” A. Brennan.
Since that first gift in 1986, Ed and his wife, Lois, funded cancer and cardiology research at Rush. They also volunteered countless hours, with Ed serving as chair of the Board of Trustees and Lois on The Woman’s Board of Rush University Medical Center.
After Ed passed away in 2007, the family sought to honor his legacy by creating the Edward A. and Lois L. Brennan Family Foundation. With a generous gift from the family, and additional gifts from Ed’s friends and associates, Rush created the Edward A. Brennan Entry Pavilion at Rush University Medical Center, which has welcomed patients and visitors every day since its opening in 2012.
“Our grandparents instilled in us the importance of philanthropy and giving back to the community,” Kelly said. “Their values were passed down to our dad and now to us. We’re excited to not only continue their legacy, but also learn about other programs that we can support at Rush.”
Jack serves as vice chair of the Rush Associates Board, a group of professionals, including emerging corporate and civic leaders, in the greater Chicago area. Board members are united by their commitment to Rush’s mission to improve the health of the individuals and diverse communities Rush serves.
“It’s important to us to give back — not just financially, but with our time and energy,” Jack said.
Making a lasting impact
Like Jack and Kelly, John Brennan, the son of Ed and Lois, followed in his parents' footsteps, serving his community both philanthropically and with his time and expertise. John was a beloved civic leader at Rush and across Chicagoland, working alongside his wife, Jean, to make the world a better place and to instill this altruistic spirit in their children.
When John passed away unexpectedly in 2022, he left a profound imprint on Rush through his service on the Board of Trustees, the Quality-of-Care Committee, the Leadership Committee for the Rush Heart and Vascular Institute, and the Data Analysis Subcommittee.
John was known for his ability to make connections and spread the word about Rush.
“He did it because he loved what the organizations that he supported stood for,” Jack said.
Like their father, Kelly and Jack are focused on giving back and sharing their enthusiasm for Rush’s mission with others.
“Everybody who works at Rush is super passionate about it — not because it’s their job but because they believe in where the organization is going,” Jack said. “And I think that’s rooted in the mission.”
Through their giving and service, Jean, Kelly, and Jack aim to create a lasting impact and honor the profound and enduring legacy of John, Ed, and Lois on Rush and across Chicago.
“We learned from our dad that it’s not always about how big of an impact you can make and grasping that enormity at the start,” Kelly said. “Instead, sometimes you need to take small, steady steps. In the beginning, you might be helping a few families a day, and then 10 years down the road, you’ve helped hundreds or even thousands.”
The family’s generosity has laid the foundation for a comprehensive, outcomes-driven model that delivers measurable improvements in food security, chronic disease management and overall patient well-being.
“With continued philanthropic partnerships, Rush can build on the momentum that donors like the Brennan family helped create — expanding reach, scaling innovation and deepening our impact across the communities we serve,” Bassett said.
