Our Dream Team

A Letter from Dion

Dreamer & Founder

One of my most profound childhood memories happened when I was in 5th grade. It was my turn that day for friends to play at my house after school. As we approached my home, I noticed that the sheriffs were in the process of evicting my family and throwing our belongings in the alley. As my heart hurt and my pre-teen brain exploded, something happened that has shaped my perception of human kindness. My friends moved our furniture to the side and we played basketball. The eviction was never mentioned.

20 years later, I’m proud to say I’m paying it forward through the creation of my non-profit, Dion’s Chicago Dream.

The Dream is simple: To challenge the idea of solving food insecurity through transparent operations, consistent quality, and a deep commitment to the community I come from.

I am a Black man, born and raised on Chicago’s south side. As a proud son of Englewood, I’ve experienced and witnessed the gambit of human hardship— poverty, gang violence, PTSD, heartbreak, drug addiction, racism, inequality, cancer, suicide, and more. I’ve felt the rumble of hunger, the yearning in food insecurity, and the loneliness of depression.

These experiences armed me with awareness, empathy, and universal love, which guide my desire for a more equitable and equal world, a world where everyone feels a sense of worth, belonging, and purpose.

The Dream Team is our community of residents, donors, supporters, and believers who have donated time, resources, love, and money to the Dream. It is through our collective strength that we are shifting the perceptions of nutritional philanthropy. I hope my personal story will move you to join our fight and make a real difference in the communities we serve.

Welcome! I’m honored to have you join our Dream Team.

Dion

Team Members

Dion Dawson

Executive Director

Angelica Dawson

Program Director

Roosevelt Dali

Logistics Supervisor

Board of Directors

Dion Dawson

Chairman of the Board

Crystal Wills

Secretary
Executive Director, Pathway to Living

Nataly Moreno

Treasurer Human Resources Manager, Victory Centre

Bernina Cursack

Board Member
Quality Assurance Manager, Albertson's

Doug Weiss

Board Member
CEO, Belmont Partners, Inc

Executive Advisory Board

Doug Weiss

Food Operations
Belmont Partners, Inc

Michelle Goldberg

Adiministration
Chicago Community Trust

Raymond Kemp

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Kemp Solutions

Tori Ward

Fundraising
Crowd Strike

Rachel Cadesh

Mission Alignment
Van Lang Foods

Martin Gellar

Development

Angelique Power

Leadership
Skillman Foundation

David Agnew

Corporate Relations
DoubleVerify

Corporate Partners

J.A.B., a wholesaler and distributor of fresh produce, partners with the finest growers from around the world to supply customers with the best selection of the highest quality fruits and vegetables. Through our partnership with J.A.B., pre-packaged boxes of fresh, high-quality produce are ready for our Dream Deliveries. Every pound supplied is brand new produce that ends up at the door of the community’s most vulnerable residents.