CHICAGO AND DEERFIELD, IL, October 22, 2024 – To improve health equity and food security in the Chicago market, Walgreens is partnering with nonprofit Dion's Chicago Dream to host the Dream Vault smart locker at the company's Gage Park location at 55th and Kedzie (5435 S. Kedzie Avenue Chicago, IL). The Dream Vault is part of a collaboration between Dion's Chicago Dream and Walgreens to provide free, high-quality products to more than 275 families in need in Chicagoland — about 1,000 residents — each week.
“Walgreens is proud to partner with Dion's Chicago Dream to support families in our Gage Park neighborhood. As a Chicago-based health and wellness company, we're thrilled that for nearly 125 years we've provided access to essential services like prescriptions, immunizations and over-the-counter medications “From vitamins to skin care, our trusted products help our customers feel their best — inside and out,” said Tracy Brown, Walgreens' executive vice president, president and chief customer officer “Like Dion’s Chicago Dream, we aim to make a lasting impact and foster a healthier, more vibrant community for everyone.”
Unveiled by Dion's Chicago Dream last year, the Dream Vault is a networked bank of vaults designed to serve up to 200 families living within a one-mile radius with a week's supply of fresh fruits and vegetables, at no cost to them. Recipients enter a code to receive their free box of sanitary products.
“At one point in my life, I was a returning military veteran struggling to make ends meet. That's one of the reasons we put Dream Vaults in places like Walgreens that provide the goods and services we need to succeed,” said Dion Dawson, founder and chief dreamer of Dion's Chicago Dream. “Retail pharmacies are a great example of this.” “My vision is that Dream Vault participants will never have to choose between eating healthy and purchasing medications, or any other basic needs.”
Food insecurity is a serious problem in Gage Park, where approximately 21% of residents lack reliable and consistent access to healthy food (2019 data).
Walgreens installed the Dream Vault on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. Households located within a one-mile radius of a Walgreens store will be invited to participate in the program.
About Walgreens
Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is included in the US Retail Pharmacy and Healthcare segments of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc. (Nasdaq: WBA), a leading integrated healthcare, pharmacy and retail company. True to its purpose of “Happier lives through better health,” Walgreens has a more than 120-year heritage of caring for communities and providing trusted pharmacy services, and today it plays an even greater role as an independent partner of choice providing healthcare services that improve care, lower costs and help patients. Walgreens operates nearly 9,000 retail locations throughout the United States and Puerto Rico, and is proud to serve nearly 9 million customers and patients daily. The company's pharmacists play a more important role in health care than ever before, providing a broad range of pharmacy and health care services, including those that drive equitable access to care for some of the nation's most underserved populations. Walgreens offers customers and patients a true omnichannel experience, with fully integrated physical and digital platforms designed to deliver high-quality healthcare products and services. Within the U.S. healthcare sector, Walgreens' portfolio also includes companies in primary care, multispecialty, post-acute care, urgent care, specialty pharmacy services, population health, and provider empowerment.
About Dion's dream
Dion's Chicago Dream is a non-profit social enterprise committed to combating food insecurity and changing lives by focusing on health equity. Our mission is to provide fresh, nutritious foods and create sustainable solutions for a brighter, healthier future.
Media communication
Kamara Turner
media@walgreens.com
