Chicago Wellness & Community with Dion Dawson & Jackie Hoffman | N'Digo Studio | N'DIGO STUDIO

Description

In this episode of the N'Digo Studio Podcast, Hermene Hartman sits down with Dion Dawson and Jackie Hoffman, two inspiring voices for community wellness in Chicago. Together, they discuss public health, food justice, and how local initiatives like “One Mile a Day” help strengthen mental health and solidarity across the South Side & West Side of Chicago neighborhoods.
Through their stories, discover how leadership, consistency, and local engagement can create lasting change and inspire a new generation of community changemakers

From Englewood community fridges to West Side marathons, these dreamers prove that consistency and community can transform lives.

🎙️ Topics:

Ending food insecurity through Dion’s Chicago Dream
Building wellness movements with Peace Runners 773
The power of consistency: “One mile a day”
Collaboration, longevity & community impact

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and ndigo.com.

👉🏾 Follow host Hermene Hartman (@iamhermenehartman) and visit ndigo.com for more stories.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Transcription

Speaker #0
Indigo Studio.
Speaker #1
Welcome to Indigo Studio. I'm Hermine Hartman. And today, we are going to talk to dreamers. They're going to tell us their stories and how they have actually transformed not only communities, but they have transformed lives. So in 2020, I had a young man on my show. His name was Deon Dawson. He was just beginning with his vision. And his vision was Dion's Chicago Dream. He had a refrigerator, he had a refrigerator in Englewood, and he stocked it every single day. And his passion was for people to have fresh food.
Speaker #0
My name is Dion Dawson, founder, executive director of Dion's Chicago Dream, a nonprofit in Englewood, tasked with stopping hunger, food insecurity. We filled this community fridge, Project Dream fridge. with free fruits, vegetables and water for Englewood residents. We're going to feel this every day, every single day, Monday through Friday, no matter what, we're going to be there. And since September 11th, we've been there every weekday.
Speaker #1
Well, today he is with Delivery Trucks. He is a multimillion dollar business and he has made profound changes about to grow. Not only in the city of Chicago, but also elsewhere.
Speaker #0
Dream Deliveries is our flagship program and product that sees us delivering a week's worth of brand new fruits and vegetables directly to households all over now the county. It started with about 15 households on two blocks in the city. Since then, we've scaled to more than 4,300 households across 160 different zip codes just in, you know, less than five years.
Speaker #1
And joining Dion today is Jackie Hoffman. He is the founder. of Race Runners 773. It's a movement that began with he and his mother walking in Garfield Park. And today he brings health and fitness and trains people for marathons all over the world.
Speaker #2
On this side of town, it's a movement, and I want y'all to know that from now on, what we're doing is getting people to move in this community, and as they continue to see it, they can envision it, and then they will start moving too. That's what it's about.
Speaker #1
Now ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you, they've challenged me. They challenged me to be in a marathon in Australia. I got one year to prepare and ladies they're going to tell you how to lose weight. All you got to do is walk one mile a day for I don't know how long but you can get 60 pounds off. Oh boy this is going to be a good discussion. There's a report by the way that talks about hunger and what that Greater Chicago Food Depository report says is that 36 percent of people in the Chicagoland area Have the risk of food insecurity. That's about 1.4 million households. So join me in this health and wellness discussion. It's a good one and they challenge me. So today I've got dreamers with me. They are dreamers who turn dreams into realities that have transformed communities. So I want you to meet Mr. Deion Dawson. We talked to you some years ago when you was just getting off the ground.
Speaker #0
Just getting started.
Speaker #1
One refrigerator in Englewood to deal with food, and you went shopping every day. Yes. Where are we today?
Speaker #0
We bigger.
Speaker #1
We bigger?
Speaker #0
A little bit bigger. We are providing about a quarter million pounds per month. purchase, pack and deliver.
Speaker #1
Quarter million pounds.
Speaker #0
Quarter million pounds. We purchase, pack and deliver. We're delivering weekly produce box, 10 pounds of fresh produce to about 5,300 households throughout the county per week. We have about 53 employees and about 15 delivery crew.
Speaker #1
Is the food still free?
Speaker #0
Oh, absolutely. We don't charge, we haven't charged. We're about 5 million pounds in and we've never charged anybody a penny.
Speaker #1
Okay, so I get a food box, what's in it? You,
Speaker #0
we have a. roster of about 50 or 60 different fruits and vegetables that we cycle through. So one week could be fruits next week. It could be vegetables or it could be a hybrid box. So anything from three or four different type of apples to some citrus, black kale, Swiss chard, pomegranates, cherries, pineapples, tomatoes. Yeah, we go through it.
Speaker #1
How did you grow? Because you have grown magnificently.
Speaker #0
I think it's just the sheer ignorance of it. I think it's me not knowing and not coming from at all. And just learning and learning and applying. I think it was the me holding myself accountable to making that I can expect explain why I did something. I think that's the thing that's always motivated me. And so as we looked at processes and as we looked at programs, I looked at the fridge and I said, well, okay, is this scalable? And it wasn't because the fridge was outside on someone else's property. And it was way too focused on that location. So granted, it was a great start with feeding about 15 to 20 people per day. But then how do we get to the people who can't get there? And so ultimately we looked at combining two different approaches, which is Amazon's logistics and HelloFresh's ability to get a kit or a box directly to the household. I said, OK, well, if we purchase the produce and we pay the people and we own the trucks and assets, then we can get it anywhere. And so that's where we started.
Speaker #1
Now, Jackie, you are on the west side, Garfield.
Speaker #2
On the west side of Chicago.
Speaker #1
So you have done a wellness program.
Speaker #2
through running tell me about your program and how it started it started with my mom um it was around the same time we both started at the same time in 2020. i had came home and i'm listening to my mom have a phone call with the doctor and this is during covet so that was you know usually when you have a doctor visit they go behind the doors close the door you never know what happens but i'm listening to the doctor talking about the life expectancy got within our communities is the that was 62 at the time And then saying three miles down the street it was 85. But then also telling my mom, pre-diabetic, high blood pressure, hey, these are the number one causes of death within this community, especially in the black and brown communities. And I remember as a son saying, like, if I don't fight for nothing, I'm going to fight for that lady. I'm going to fight for my mom. So I remember challenging her to start doing a mile a day. From my mom doing that mile a day, she lost over 60 pounds. Her medications went from 13 to, as of right now, zero. Did you walk with her? I walked with her. I ran. You ran, she walked. I ran and I made sure. So we went to the park. She'll walk, I'll run. But what she did, our program, we call it Younger Hearts, is she came back with a whole group of, I call them the Younger Hearts, the elder ladies, and they all had their own.
Speaker #0
She went and got her girls.
Speaker #2
She got the girls. So they all were walking. They all were walking. How many?
Speaker #1
How many people was it?
Speaker #2
It was about eight. She came and it was just growing. She walked her mile and she used to get on Facebook Live like, y'all, I'm getting my walk in. And next thing you know, I just seen the numbers start to grow. And I just seen more of the younger hearts start to come out. So while I run and I seen them walk, I was like, this is what our community needs.
Speaker #1
One mile a day.
Speaker #2
One mile a day.
Speaker #1
Every day.
Speaker #2
She did it every day. Just the consistency.
Speaker #1
Okay, so today, so you scaled up too. Yes. What did you scale up to? How many people today? Woo!
Speaker #2
Over 50,000 miles throughout the Westside. 50,000 miles? Over 50,000 miles throughout our Westside. They like to call it a run desert. They deem our community is not runnable, walkable, so we ran them. 50,000 miles, over 1,100 people have did a 5K, which is 3 miles. 187 last year had did a half marathon, which is 13.1. And we had over 43 people do Chicago Marathon just last year, but now... We have grown to where people, I have the Boston Marathon, Tokyo Marathon, Sydney. You're kidding. I just came back from Sydney, yes. Oh, they do it. Running for the movement. It's a movement. Bringing help to our communities. I'm always inspired by my brother.
Speaker #1
Are you training them to run marathons?
Speaker #2
We have training programs, 5K programs, 10K marathon, half marathon. So all of our programming is where we start to just say like, what does the community need? With the nutrition, we had this a partner with Dionne Chicago Dream. It was like, okay, if The food insecurity is the problem, like let's bring in some boxes. If we talk nutrition and cooking and cooking courses and nutrition classes, mental health workshops, anything that the community needed, we put an entire program to make sure that an individual is better off as a quality of life at the end of our program.
Speaker #3
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Speaker #1
Join the circle of life at the Lion King.
Speaker #4
On stage now at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through October 19th. Tickets at broadwayandchicago.com.
Speaker #3
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Speaker #1
Join the circle of life at the Lion King.
Speaker #4
On stage now at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through October 19th. Tickets at broadwayandchicago.com
Speaker #1
So I want to run with you. So tell me, do I have to be at a certain place, a certain day, a certain time?
Speaker #0
The name of this program is Couch to
Speaker #2
5K. You get it off the couch, just like that.
Speaker #0
So that's the thing. That's why they're so amazing.
Speaker #1
You run together.
Speaker #2
Yes.
Speaker #1
Do I have to meet you at a certain place at a certain time?
Speaker #2
We meet at the Gold Dome every Saturday. Rain, sleet, snow, cold, hot.
Speaker #0
Every Saturday through the year, they there.
Speaker #2
Running through the biggest thing is that consistency. Like, we didn't want to have just an eight-week program. What we looked at and said, like, our community, when we're talking about that healing phase, we need consistency to make sure that people know that every Saturday we're going to be there. And just like his delivery program is, like, he told me beginning of stages, like, the beginning stages, consistency. Like, they can't miss a day with delivering those boxes. So with us, it's like we can't miss those days with making sure our people are walking and taking space within that community.
Speaker #1
So you all work together.
Speaker #2
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker #1
So do you deliver some food to his people?
Speaker #0
To some of them? Oh yeah, we started, look when we started, first of all we went to high school together and we didn't see each other for almost a decade. So he went college, football,
Speaker #1
army,
Speaker #0
yeah and then for me I did Navy, came back and then started my org and then we linked back up when I had an event for Halloween in 2020. And He was just getting started, I'm just getting started. And I just took ownership of the relationship and making sure that everything that I learn, I'm talking to him. Everything he's learning, he's teaching me. And so it's more about collaboration and education. And from there, it's like, okay, hey, what do you need? You know what I mean? If I meet somebody, even if it does not apply to me and my work, if it applies to whether I'm halfway around the world, I'll FaceTime them and be like, hey. I need you to talk to this person or something like that.
Speaker #1
So even if you're collaborating.
Speaker #0
Absolutely. And I understand the role that I play. I understand that information can't die with me. So just as much as I appreciate the interview I had with you four years ago, I'm more impressed, not at our growth, but because I'm here with somebody else.
Speaker #1
I trained for the marathon one time. I went through the training and that's what I wanted. I wanted to train the walk, the, you know, the walk, run, the walk, run, the walk, run. so Marathon time came and I got in it. I did eight miles. I was so proud of my eight miles I didn't make it all the way but I made proud of my eight miles. Let me tell you what stopped me My knees began to hurt And the solution for that is to get into that cold ice tub. I couldn't do it That was that was it was too.
Speaker #0
Oh, no, it was too cold But see it's crazy because i've never ever thought about you not being able to do anything
Speaker #1
Well, I stopped. I'm walking.
Speaker #2
You just needed a piece runner.
Speaker #0
Yeah, we're gonna get you back.
Speaker #2
You just needed a piece runner. You had that group.
Speaker #0
I'm gonna tell you, they infectious. So I'm letting you know that. It ain't gonna cut it.
Speaker #1
But you running and they walking.
Speaker #2
We had some people that were running too. It's a community. And tell me,
Speaker #1
you got people in the marathon, because I mean marathon training is, that's tough. That's not for faint of heart. You gotta dedicate to it. Oh yeah. So you say you got people in the marathon and they go all over the world?
Speaker #2
Just got back from Sydney, Australia. We had 11 people run the Sydney Marathon. We all fundraised. We made over $30,000. We're heading to Berlin next week and we're about to have six people do 26.2. One of my wife, I got to always throw her out there, Tiffany. She's running with me. Your mother still walks? My mother walks. So she walks the 5Ks and the 8Ks. But now she's in the couch to 5K program and we're going to get her to run a 5K.
Speaker #3
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Speaker #1
Join the circle of life at the Lion King.
Speaker #4
On stage now at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through October 19th. Tickets at broadwayandchicago.com
Speaker #3
At ComEd, we understand a little help can really make someone's day. That's why we provide financial assistance and billing options to help you pay and manage your electric bill.
Speaker #2
Now, see what I can do.
Speaker #1
Join the circle of life at the Lion King.
Speaker #4
On stage now at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through October 19th. Tickets at broadwayandchicago.com
Speaker #1
Tell me how you actually see that hands-on transformation.
Speaker #0
Well, I think the first thing is that, you know, with what we've been able to do with Dionne's Chicago Dream is we've been able to change the conversation. Because I think a lot of times when we think about, you know, feeding people, what we've ultimately wanted to do and how we wanted to transform it is we really want to show people the tangible representation when it comes to the supply chain. We want people to understand when you hear food system, We want to know what that means. We want people to understand, and not only do we know where our food is being sourced from, but you understand how we got it from sourcing it all the way to you. And that's what our story has been about. And every single life is important. And so what we wanted to do was, when we started in Englewood and since have grown, is just understand there's importance in making sure that longer, healthier lives is something that is not only the true north and the goal for us. But also understanding that how we do it every single day is important, that consistency. So our team is out there delivering, and that's where you're going to see us. Whenever you see us, when you see D.I. Chicago Dream, you see us in traffic. That's the difference.
Speaker #1
So if someone's looking at this show, and they want to get involved, tell me what do they need to do? How do they do it?
Speaker #0
Well, I think I would want them to ask, what does that involvement look like? Now, of course, does it look like supporting us? You go to our website, and you can become a monthly donor. you know, five, ten, twenty dollars that goes a long way towards helping our programming or providing for our jobs or our food procurement, does involved look like needing a job? You know what I mean? Then that's emailing and reaching out. So potentially we can hire you either on our build team, our delivery team, or our community health workers. So that involvement and being part of both of our movements is, you know, knowing and lifting it up from person to person. You know, going on social media, sharing, liking, and commenting. and making sure that you're taking the information that we're giving and educating yourself. Do you know someone that could benefit from working with us? Do you know someone that could benefit from running with them? Because having somebody that's 65 years old that never left Englewood, and next year running in Sydney with Jackie is something that goes to the tapestry of that family. Knowing that grandma ran, that's something, that's different, that's what it's about.
Speaker #1
That's a revolution.
Speaker #0
Yeah, that's changing the story.
Speaker #1
So if somebody wants to get involved, Jackie, with your RUN program, how do they do it?
Speaker #2
www.peacerunner773.com. We have all of our programs on the website also. And just like he said, we're rolling. We're hiring people, we're getting contractors, we got contractors, we got yoga coaches, we got strength coaches. We want to make sure that all of those barriers when we talk about holistic health and wellness in our field. We also do youth mentorship and do youth run programs. We want to change that narrative.
Speaker #1
How do you see the transformation that you've... brought about? How do you really see it in terms of changing lives? Because that's what you all are doing.
Speaker #2
I'm watching the community transform. I no longer have to go to Oak Park to see people running in the community. I'm seeing people walk in the community. I'm seeing people not afraid to go outside their doors. And that's so important when we're talking about changing the narrative, because we can no longer say like people are not outside in Garfield Park.
Speaker #1
You see longevity Longevity increasing?
Speaker #2
Yes, we just created a mural. Of a person running because we wanted people to see that image. We wanted to change that narrative and that's how intentional we were with it. And what we're seeing now is like, I'm seeing my neighbors. That's what we're talking about when we talk about community. I know my neighbors. When I'm coming outside, I see people run, I see people walk. I'm going to the cafe all the way in Lawndale and I'm seeing other people within the community taking space. And If that's the legacy that I have as a person, I'm grateful. Four times a week they're having consistent programs, so that's getting them to leave outside of their house, aside from just the movement piece, but they need each other. And that's what community is talking about, so we're talking about the transformation. This one lady, Ms. Curl, she's like, I gotta get out that house, I'm coming to walk. She's like, my knee bothered me, but I'm gonna walk today.
Speaker #1
You are concentrated in Garfield Park. On the West Side, would you extend and expand in other communities?
Speaker #2
It's coming. It's coming. We expanding. It'll be the same program, but in other communities.
Speaker #1
What's your background in physical fitness and all that? How did you get involved?
Speaker #2
Division one football player. I did a workout with the Bears. I was at 320. My personal transformation, I lost about 70, 75 pounds. Running was the tool for me. But just seeing the mental clarity and seeing what it brought to me, I wanted to share that feeling with everybody. I did arena league for a while, but I always thought that I was connected with wellness and connected with fitness because of me playing sports.
Speaker #1
I worked out with the Bears once. I didn't know they were Bears, so we were just in the gym. And I didn't know, I didn't really know. It wasn't like the whole team.
Speaker #0
So you done did marathon training, you done worked out with the Bears.
Speaker #1
But wait, they had me lift. right yeah and I lifted a hundred pounds but I didn't know it was a hundred pounds and when they said it was a hundred pounds I said oh my god that's heavy I had it up though You did it.
Speaker #2
If you put it up, you got it.
Speaker #1
I got a few things up my sleeve.
Speaker #2
I want to know what they are.
Speaker #0
No secret. In the next six weeks, we're going to be announcing. a for-profit company that we've founded that's going to be a tech company. So we're actually going to be launching.
Speaker #1
You said you wanted to go into tech. You wanted to do tech. So we got that coming? Oh,
Speaker #0
yeah. Oh, yeah. Tech company is going to, the name of the program is Cosmic Crate. And Cosmic Crate will basically be Dionne's Chicago Dream as a product. It will basically equip small and medium businesses with the ability to connect inventory and people to last mile delivery. So we'll be able to scale this nationwide and worldwide. And I'm really excited.
Speaker #1
We're going to see that before the year's out?
Speaker #2
Oh,
Speaker #0
it's happening. It's happening. So in about three weeks, behind the scenes, all of our operations, delivery, and inventory will be inside the program and the platform. So it's going to be live before the end of the year.
Speaker #1
That's fabulous. And you will extend, I think, hope into other communities systematically?
Speaker #2
Expanding. Yes, ma'am.
Speaker #0
Did you say that you were going to train her for the Chicago Marathon? Trying to hook us. We're running this back. Did that?
Speaker #2
We're running this back.
Speaker #0
Is it happening?
Speaker #2
We only need about 20 more hours.
Speaker #1
I'm going to be trained. I'm not doing it in Chicago.
Speaker #0
Oh, let's go.
Speaker #1
I'm going.
Speaker #2
elsewhere.
Speaker #0
We don't roll into it.
Speaker #1
Where do you want to go? Let's talk.
Speaker #2
Where are you at? You in Paris? We also a charity partner at a New York marathon.
Speaker #1
She want to go abroad.
Speaker #0
Wait, you just did Australia.
Speaker #2
I did Australia.
Speaker #0
What about next year you do Australia?
Speaker #1
How many miles?
Speaker #0
26.
Speaker #1
I got to run 26?
Speaker #2
No,
Speaker #0
you got to finish. So listen to me. It just happened we got a year. We got Hermine Hartman,
Speaker #1
what month is it? When is it?
Speaker #2
It's August. It's August, so we got a year.
Speaker #1
Okay, we can do that.
Speaker #0
Let's go. Hermine Hartman and Indigo Studios partnering with Peace Runners.
Speaker #2
We got to start the run from the studio.
Speaker #0
That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker #1
Challenge me, if you will. Okay. All right, all right.
Speaker #0
That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker #1
So I want to get ladies, you know, we're looking at drugs to take, we're looking at exercise to do, but you gave a real key. one mile.
Speaker #0
One mile a day.
Speaker #1
A day. One mile. And that comes out to 60 miles eventually. Now, I ride my bike. That's it. That's the movement.
Speaker #2
Ain't nothing wrong with that. And that 15 to 20 minutes of cardio. Yeah. That's about that one mile. Like 15 to 20 minutes of cardio. That's what that one mile is equivalent of?
Speaker #0
Yes. 15 to 20 minutes of cardio. Let's go. I'm excited.
Speaker #2
I provide all of us quality of life. That's why I tell people, like, don't look at the 100-pound days. I just need you to move. And that's our motto. I'm going to tell you, Dion also FaceTimed me from the gym all the time. We both got to get out and work out.
Speaker #1
Any quality food.
Speaker #0
Sometimes.
Speaker #1
So how do people If somebody wants to get food or have somebody that needs food or wants food, how do we connect that?
Speaker #0
They reach out. They're going to call us. So we, any way they will find a number, they can find us on our website, www.deonschicagodream.com. They can have all our contact information. We do not have signups on our website. Because we want someone to have that human element. So they'll be able to call us, they'll be placed on the wait list, and then from there, once we secure enough funding to at least deliver to them for a year, it's off to the races.
Speaker #1
You deliver it every year? Are you delivering for a full year once a week?
Speaker #0
No, no, no. We take them off the wait list when we've secured funding for at least a year because what we don't want to do is enroll them and then call them a month later and say, we can't afford that. Not this month. And so, you know, we have some members that we've been delivering to since the beginning. They're going to be delivered to in perpetuity. It's others who have called us and gotten off of our program when they've been in a better position. That's the thing. It's not a one size fits all thing.
Speaker #1
Consistency works.
Speaker #0
With quality.
Speaker #1
Gotta do it.
Speaker #0
Gotta do it.
Speaker #1
Every day. Every day. You said your mother runs every four days a week?
Speaker #2
She runs four days a week. Yep. Yes.
Speaker #1
Okay, so ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker #2
I can't wait till y'all meet. I can't wait till y'all meet. Yeah, we gotta run with her. That's it, we gotta run with her. Yeah, we gonna,
Speaker #0
we gonna. I can't wait. I can't wait.
Speaker #1
Uh-huh. So, I have been challenged today from some dreamers. I got my own damn dreams, okay? And I don't know if running is inclusive in it, but I won't take 60 pounds. I'll take 30, though.
Speaker #2
Just come walk with us.
Speaker #1
Okay, I'm going to come walk with you. Now, you walk, you didn't answer my question. You walk every day or you walk once a week? Oh,
Speaker #0
him? I'll run.
Speaker #1
How do you sign up?
Speaker #2
Yeah, I'll run.
Speaker #0
Oh, yeah, yeah, no, like, how do you sign up to be a part of you all?
Speaker #1
How do you sign up to be part of the program?
Speaker #2
Oh. On the website we have all the programs on there. And I just sign up for it? Yes, we have the 5K, the Council 5K program on there. We have a program where we do 13.1, the 5K trainings, everything's on the website. Or you can just meet us every Saturday at the Gold Dome, 100 North Central Park, 915.
Speaker #1
Is there a fee?
Speaker #2
No, everything free.
Speaker #0
That ain't how we roll. Everything free.
Speaker #2
Everything free. If we give you a yoga class, it's free. If we give you a strength class, it's free.
Speaker #1
You all are socialists. Yeah. Yes. You can say that. I can say you.
Speaker #0
I got socialist tendencies.
Speaker #1
You got socialist tendencies in the capitalistic society. That's it. I am just loving it. So ladies and gentlemen, we have had a great conversation today. We're talking to dreamers. Dreamers who dreamed the dream and made it a reality and transformed lives and communities. Mr. Dawson, Mr. Hoffman, so you got to eat right, you got to run, you got to run, you got to eat. And they're going to take me to Australia. Next August. I'm going. I'm Hermine Hartman with Indigo Studio. I want to thank you for watching.

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About N'DIGO STUDIO

Experience Chicago's Most Influential Voices | N'DIGO STUDIO

What you'll discover:

- In-depth interviews with Chicago's most influential voices

- Fresh perspectives on politics, culture, and social justice

- Exclusive conversations with bestselling authors and artists

- Behind-the-scenes insights into Chicago's power players

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Description

From Englewood community fridges to West Side marathons, these dreamers prove that consistency and community can transform lives.

🎙️ Topics:

Ending food insecurity through Dion’s Chicago Dream
Building wellness movements with Peace Runners 773
The power of consistency: “One mile a day”
Collaboration, longevity & community impact

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and ndigo.com.

👉🏾 Follow host Hermene Hartman (@iamhermenehartman) and visit ndigo.com for more stories.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Transcription

Speaker #0
Indigo Studio.
Speaker #1
Welcome to Indigo Studio. I'm Hermine Hartman. And today, we are going to talk to dreamers. They're going to tell us their stories and how they have actually transformed not only communities, but they have transformed lives. So in 2020, I had a young man on my show. His name was Deon Dawson. He was just beginning with his vision. And his vision was Dion's Chicago Dream. He had a refrigerator, he had a refrigerator in Englewood, and he stocked it every single day. And his passion was for people to have fresh food.
Speaker #0
My name is Dion Dawson, founder, executive director of Dion's Chicago Dream, a nonprofit in Englewood, tasked with stopping hunger, food insecurity. We filled this community fridge, Project Dream fridge. with free fruits, vegetables and water for Englewood residents. We're going to feel this every day, every single day, Monday through Friday, no matter what, we're going to be there. And since September 11th, we've been there every weekday.
Speaker #1
Well, today he is with Delivery Trucks. He is a multimillion dollar business and he has made profound changes about to grow. Not only in the city of Chicago, but also elsewhere.
Speaker #0
Dream Deliveries is our flagship program and product that sees us delivering a week's worth of brand new fruits and vegetables directly to households all over now the county. It started with about 15 households on two blocks in the city. Since then, we've scaled to more than 4,300 households across 160 different zip codes just in, you know, less than five years.
Speaker #1
And joining Dion today is Jackie Hoffman. He is the founder. of Race Runners 773. It's a movement that began with he and his mother walking in Garfield Park. And today he brings health and fitness and trains people for marathons all over the world.
Speaker #2
On this side of town, it's a movement, and I want y'all to know that from now on, what we're doing is getting people to move in this community, and as they continue to see it, they can envision it, and then they will start moving too. That's what it's about.
Speaker #1
Now ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you, they've challenged me. They challenged me to be in a marathon in Australia. I got one year to prepare and ladies they're going to tell you how to lose weight. All you got to do is walk one mile a day for I don't know how long but you can get 60 pounds off. Oh boy this is going to be a good discussion. There's a report by the way that talks about hunger and what that Greater Chicago Food Depository report says is that 36 percent of people in the Chicagoland area Have the risk of food insecurity. That's about 1.4 million households. So join me in this health and wellness discussion. It's a good one and they challenge me. So today I've got dreamers with me. They are dreamers who turn dreams into realities that have transformed communities. So I want you to meet Mr. Deion Dawson. We talked to you some years ago when you was just getting off the ground.
Speaker #0
Just getting started.
Speaker #1
One refrigerator in Englewood to deal with food, and you went shopping every day. Yes. Where are we today?
Speaker #0
We bigger.
Speaker #1
We bigger?
Speaker #0
A little bit bigger. We are providing about a quarter million pounds per month. purchase, pack and deliver.
Speaker #1
Quarter million pounds.
Speaker #0
Quarter million pounds. We purchase, pack and deliver. We're delivering weekly produce box, 10 pounds of fresh produce to about 5,300 households throughout the county per week. We have about 53 employees and about 15 delivery crew.
Speaker #1
Is the food still free?
Speaker #0
Oh, absolutely. We don't charge, we haven't charged. We're about 5 million pounds in and we've never charged anybody a penny.
Speaker #1
Okay, so I get a food box, what's in it? You,
Speaker #0
we have a. roster of about 50 or 60 different fruits and vegetables that we cycle through. So one week could be fruits next week. It could be vegetables or it could be a hybrid box. So anything from three or four different type of apples to some citrus, black kale, Swiss chard, pomegranates, cherries, pineapples, tomatoes. Yeah, we go through it.
Speaker #1
How did you grow? Because you have grown magnificently.
Speaker #0
I think it's just the sheer ignorance of it. I think it's me not knowing and not coming from at all. And just learning and learning and applying. I think it was the me holding myself accountable to making that I can expect explain why I did something. I think that's the thing that's always motivated me. And so as we looked at processes and as we looked at programs, I looked at the fridge and I said, well, okay, is this scalable? And it wasn't because the fridge was outside on someone else's property. And it was way too focused on that location. So granted, it was a great start with feeding about 15 to 20 people per day. But then how do we get to the people who can't get there? And so ultimately we looked at combining two different approaches, which is Amazon's logistics and HelloFresh's ability to get a kit or a box directly to the household. I said, OK, well, if we purchase the produce and we pay the people and we own the trucks and assets, then we can get it anywhere. And so that's where we started.
Speaker #1
Now, Jackie, you are on the west side, Garfield.
Speaker #2
On the west side of Chicago.
Speaker #1
So you have done a wellness program.
Speaker #2
through running tell me about your program and how it started it started with my mom um it was around the same time we both started at the same time in 2020. i had came home and i'm listening to my mom have a phone call with the doctor and this is during covet so that was you know usually when you have a doctor visit they go behind the doors close the door you never know what happens but i'm listening to the doctor talking about the life expectancy got within our communities is the that was 62 at the time And then saying three miles down the street it was 85. But then also telling my mom, pre-diabetic, high blood pressure, hey, these are the number one causes of death within this community, especially in the black and brown communities. And I remember as a son saying, like, if I don't fight for nothing, I'm going to fight for that lady. I'm going to fight for my mom. So I remember challenging her to start doing a mile a day. From my mom doing that mile a day, she lost over 60 pounds. Her medications went from 13 to, as of right now, zero. Did you walk with her? I walked with her. I ran. You ran, she walked. I ran and I made sure. So we went to the park. She'll walk, I'll run. But what she did, our program, we call it Younger Hearts, is she came back with a whole group of, I call them the Younger Hearts, the elder ladies, and they all had their own.
Speaker #0
She went and got her girls.
Speaker #2
She got the girls. So they all were walking. They all were walking. How many?
Speaker #1
How many people was it?
Speaker #2
It was about eight. She came and it was just growing. She walked her mile and she used to get on Facebook Live like, y'all, I'm getting my walk in. And next thing you know, I just seen the numbers start to grow. And I just seen more of the younger hearts start to come out. So while I run and I seen them walk, I was like, this is what our community needs.
Speaker #1
One mile a day.
Speaker #2
One mile a day.
Speaker #1
Every day.
Speaker #2
She did it every day. Just the consistency.
Speaker #1
Okay, so today, so you scaled up too. Yes. What did you scale up to? How many people today? Woo!
Speaker #2
Over 50,000 miles throughout the Westside. 50,000 miles? Over 50,000 miles throughout our Westside. They like to call it a run desert. They deem our community is not runnable, walkable, so we ran them. 50,000 miles, over 1,100 people have did a 5K, which is 3 miles. 187 last year had did a half marathon, which is 13.1. And we had over 43 people do Chicago Marathon just last year, but now... We have grown to where people, I have the Boston Marathon, Tokyo Marathon, Sydney. You're kidding. I just came back from Sydney, yes. Oh, they do it. Running for the movement. It's a movement. Bringing help to our communities. I'm always inspired by my brother.
Speaker #1
Are you training them to run marathons?
Speaker #2
We have training programs, 5K programs, 10K marathon, half marathon. So all of our programming is where we start to just say like, what does the community need? With the nutrition, we had this a partner with Dionne Chicago Dream. It was like, okay, if The food insecurity is the problem, like let's bring in some boxes. If we talk nutrition and cooking and cooking courses and nutrition classes, mental health workshops, anything that the community needed, we put an entire program to make sure that an individual is better off as a quality of life at the end of our program.
Speaker #3
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Speaker #1
Join the circle of life at the Lion King.
Speaker #4
On stage now at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through October 19th. Tickets at broadwayandchicago.com.
Speaker #3
At ComEd, we understand a little help can really make someone's day. That's why we provide financial assistance and billing options to help you pay and manage your electric bill. Use the ComEd Smart Assistance Manager to discover bill assistance and savings options designed with you in mind.
Speaker #1
Join the circle of life at the Lion King.
Speaker #4
On stage now at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through October 19th. Tickets at broadwayandchicago.com
Speaker #1
So I want to run with you. So tell me, do I have to be at a certain place, a certain day, a certain time?
Speaker #0
The name of this program is Couch to
Speaker #2
5K. You get it off the couch, just like that.
Speaker #0
So that's the thing. That's why they're so amazing.
Speaker #1
You run together.
Speaker #2
Yes.
Speaker #1
Do I have to meet you at a certain place at a certain time?
Speaker #2
We meet at the Gold Dome every Saturday. Rain, sleet, snow, cold, hot.
Speaker #0
Every Saturday through the year, they there.
Speaker #2
Running through the biggest thing is that consistency. Like, we didn't want to have just an eight-week program. What we looked at and said, like, our community, when we're talking about that healing phase, we need consistency to make sure that people know that every Saturday we're going to be there. And just like his delivery program is, like, he told me beginning of stages, like, the beginning stages, consistency. Like, they can't miss a day with delivering those boxes. So with us, it's like we can't miss those days with making sure our people are walking and taking space within that community.
Speaker #1
So you all work together.
Speaker #2
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker #1
So do you deliver some food to his people?
Speaker #0
To some of them? Oh yeah, we started, look when we started, first of all we went to high school together and we didn't see each other for almost a decade. So he went college, football,
Speaker #1
army,
Speaker #0
yeah and then for me I did Navy, came back and then started my org and then we linked back up when I had an event for Halloween in 2020. And He was just getting started, I'm just getting started. And I just took ownership of the relationship and making sure that everything that I learn, I'm talking to him. Everything he's learning, he's teaching me. And so it's more about collaboration and education. And from there, it's like, okay, hey, what do you need? You know what I mean? If I meet somebody, even if it does not apply to me and my work, if it applies to whether I'm halfway around the world, I'll FaceTime them and be like, hey. I need you to talk to this person or something like that.
Speaker #1
So even if you're collaborating.
Speaker #0
Absolutely. And I understand the role that I play. I understand that information can't die with me. So just as much as I appreciate the interview I had with you four years ago, I'm more impressed, not at our growth, but because I'm here with somebody else.
Speaker #1
I trained for the marathon one time. I went through the training and that's what I wanted. I wanted to train the walk, the, you know, the walk, run, the walk, run, the walk, run. so Marathon time came and I got in it. I did eight miles. I was so proud of my eight miles I didn't make it all the way but I made proud of my eight miles. Let me tell you what stopped me My knees began to hurt And the solution for that is to get into that cold ice tub. I couldn't do it That was that was it was too.
Speaker #0
Oh, no, it was too cold But see it's crazy because i've never ever thought about you not being able to do anything
Speaker #1
Well, I stopped. I'm walking.
Speaker #2
You just needed a piece runner.
Speaker #0
Yeah, we're gonna get you back.
Speaker #2
You just needed a piece runner. You had that group.
Speaker #0
I'm gonna tell you, they infectious. So I'm letting you know that. It ain't gonna cut it.
Speaker #1
But you running and they walking.
Speaker #2
We had some people that were running too. It's a community. And tell me,
Speaker #1
you got people in the marathon, because I mean marathon training is, that's tough. That's not for faint of heart. You gotta dedicate to it. Oh yeah. So you say you got people in the marathon and they go all over the world?
Speaker #2
Just got back from Sydney, Australia. We had 11 people run the Sydney Marathon. We all fundraised. We made over $30,000. We're heading to Berlin next week and we're about to have six people do 26.2. One of my wife, I got to always throw her out there, Tiffany. She's running with me. Your mother still walks? My mother walks. So she walks the 5Ks and the 8Ks. But now she's in the couch to 5K program and we're going to get her to run a 5K.
Speaker #3
Whether you're considering an electric vehicle at work or at home, the tools, resources, and rebates available at ComEd.com slash EV make transitioning to an electric vehicle easier than ever before.
Speaker #1
Join the circle of life at the Lion King.
Speaker #4
On stage now at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through October 19th. Tickets at broadwayandchicago.com
Speaker #3
At ComEd, we understand a little help can really make someone's day. That's why we provide financial assistance and billing options to help you pay and manage your electric bill.
Speaker #2
Now, see what I can do.
Speaker #1
Join the circle of life at the Lion King.
Speaker #4
On stage now at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through October 19th. Tickets at broadwayandchicago.com
Speaker #1
Tell me how you actually see that hands-on transformation.
Speaker #0
Well, I think the first thing is that, you know, with what we've been able to do with Dionne's Chicago Dream is we've been able to change the conversation. Because I think a lot of times when we think about, you know, feeding people, what we've ultimately wanted to do and how we wanted to transform it is we really want to show people the tangible representation when it comes to the supply chain. We want people to understand when you hear food system, We want to know what that means. We want people to understand, and not only do we know where our food is being sourced from, but you understand how we got it from sourcing it all the way to you. And that's what our story has been about. And every single life is important. And so what we wanted to do was, when we started in Englewood and since have grown, is just understand there's importance in making sure that longer, healthier lives is something that is not only the true north and the goal for us. But also understanding that how we do it every single day is important, that consistency. So our team is out there delivering, and that's where you're going to see us. Whenever you see us, when you see D.I. Chicago Dream, you see us in traffic. That's the difference.
Speaker #1
So if someone's looking at this show, and they want to get involved, tell me what do they need to do? How do they do it?
Speaker #0
Well, I think I would want them to ask, what does that involvement look like? Now, of course, does it look like supporting us? You go to our website, and you can become a monthly donor. you know, five, ten, twenty dollars that goes a long way towards helping our programming or providing for our jobs or our food procurement, does involved look like needing a job? You know what I mean? Then that's emailing and reaching out. So potentially we can hire you either on our build team, our delivery team, or our community health workers. So that involvement and being part of both of our movements is, you know, knowing and lifting it up from person to person. You know, going on social media, sharing, liking, and commenting. and making sure that you're taking the information that we're giving and educating yourself. Do you know someone that could benefit from working with us? Do you know someone that could benefit from running with them? Because having somebody that's 65 years old that never left Englewood, and next year running in Sydney with Jackie is something that goes to the tapestry of that family. Knowing that grandma ran, that's something, that's different, that's what it's about.
Speaker #1
That's a revolution.
Speaker #0
Yeah, that's changing the story.
Speaker #1
So if somebody wants to get involved, Jackie, with your RUN program, how do they do it?
Speaker #2
www.peacerunner773.com. We have all of our programs on the website also. And just like he said, we're rolling. We're hiring people, we're getting contractors, we got contractors, we got yoga coaches, we got strength coaches. We want to make sure that all of those barriers when we talk about holistic health and wellness in our field. We also do youth mentorship and do youth run programs. We want to change that narrative.
Speaker #1
How do you see the transformation that you've... brought about? How do you really see it in terms of changing lives? Because that's what you all are doing.
Speaker #2
I'm watching the community transform. I no longer have to go to Oak Park to see people running in the community. I'm seeing people walk in the community. I'm seeing people not afraid to go outside their doors. And that's so important when we're talking about changing the narrative, because we can no longer say like people are not outside in Garfield Park.
Speaker #1
You see longevity Longevity increasing?
Speaker #2
Yes, we just created a mural. Of a person running because we wanted people to see that image. We wanted to change that narrative and that's how intentional we were with it. And what we're seeing now is like, I'm seeing my neighbors. That's what we're talking about when we talk about community. I know my neighbors. When I'm coming outside, I see people run, I see people walk. I'm going to the cafe all the way in Lawndale and I'm seeing other people within the community taking space. And If that's the legacy that I have as a person, I'm grateful. Four times a week they're having consistent programs, so that's getting them to leave outside of their house, aside from just the movement piece, but they need each other. And that's what community is talking about, so we're talking about the transformation. This one lady, Ms. Curl, she's like, I gotta get out that house, I'm coming to walk. She's like, my knee bothered me, but I'm gonna walk today.
Speaker #1
You are concentrated in Garfield Park. On the West Side, would you extend and expand in other communities?
Speaker #2
It's coming. It's coming. We expanding. It'll be the same program, but in other communities.
Speaker #1
What's your background in physical fitness and all that? How did you get involved?
Speaker #2
Division one football player. I did a workout with the Bears. I was at 320. My personal transformation, I lost about 70, 75 pounds. Running was the tool for me. But just seeing the mental clarity and seeing what it brought to me, I wanted to share that feeling with everybody. I did arena league for a while, but I always thought that I was connected with wellness and connected with fitness because of me playing sports.
Speaker #1
I worked out with the Bears once. I didn't know they were Bears, so we were just in the gym. And I didn't know, I didn't really know. It wasn't like the whole team.
Speaker #0
So you done did marathon training, you done worked out with the Bears.
Speaker #1
But wait, they had me lift. right yeah and I lifted a hundred pounds but I didn't know it was a hundred pounds and when they said it was a hundred pounds I said oh my god that's heavy I had it up though You did it.
Speaker #2
If you put it up, you got it.
Speaker #1
I got a few things up my sleeve.
Speaker #2
I want to know what they are.
Speaker #0
No secret. In the next six weeks, we're going to be announcing. a for-profit company that we've founded that's going to be a tech company. So we're actually going to be launching.
Speaker #1
You said you wanted to go into tech. You wanted to do tech. So we got that coming? Oh,
Speaker #0
yeah. Oh, yeah. Tech company is going to, the name of the program is Cosmic Crate. And Cosmic Crate will basically be Dionne's Chicago Dream as a product. It will basically equip small and medium businesses with the ability to connect inventory and people to last mile delivery. So we'll be able to scale this nationwide and worldwide. And I'm really excited.
Speaker #1
We're going to see that before the year's out?
Speaker #2
Oh,
Speaker #0
it's happening. It's happening. So in about three weeks, behind the scenes, all of our operations, delivery, and inventory will be inside the program and the platform. So it's going to be live before the end of the year.
Speaker #1
That's fabulous. And you will extend, I think, hope into other communities systematically?
Speaker #2
Expanding. Yes, ma'am.
Speaker #0
Did you say that you were going to train her for the Chicago Marathon? Trying to hook us. We're running this back. Did that?
Speaker #2
We're running this back.
Speaker #0
Is it happening?
Speaker #2
We only need about 20 more hours.
Speaker #1
I'm going to be trained. I'm not doing it in Chicago.
Speaker #0
Oh, let's go.
Speaker #1
I'm going.
Speaker #2
elsewhere.
Speaker #0
We don't roll into it.
Speaker #1
Where do you want to go? Let's talk.
Speaker #2
Where are you at? You in Paris? We also a charity partner at a New York marathon.
Speaker #1
She want to go abroad.
Speaker #0
Wait, you just did Australia.
Speaker #2
I did Australia.
Speaker #0
What about next year you do Australia?
Speaker #1
How many miles?
Speaker #0
26.
Speaker #1
I got to run 26?
Speaker #2
No,
Speaker #0
you got to finish. So listen to me. It just happened we got a year. We got Hermine Hartman,
Speaker #1
what month is it? When is it?
Speaker #2
It's August. It's August, so we got a year.
Speaker #1
Okay, we can do that.
Speaker #0
Let's go. Hermine Hartman and Indigo Studios partnering with Peace Runners.
Speaker #2
We got to start the run from the studio.
Speaker #0
That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker #1
Challenge me, if you will. Okay. All right, all right.
Speaker #0
That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker #1
So I want to get ladies, you know, we're looking at drugs to take, we're looking at exercise to do, but you gave a real key. one mile.
Speaker #0
One mile a day.
Speaker #1
A day. One mile. And that comes out to 60 miles eventually. Now, I ride my bike. That's it. That's the movement.
Speaker #2
Ain't nothing wrong with that. And that 15 to 20 minutes of cardio. Yeah. That's about that one mile. Like 15 to 20 minutes of cardio. That's what that one mile is equivalent of?
Speaker #0
Yes. 15 to 20 minutes of cardio. Let's go. I'm excited.
Speaker #2
I provide all of us quality of life. That's why I tell people, like, don't look at the 100-pound days. I just need you to move. And that's our motto. I'm going to tell you, Dion also FaceTimed me from the gym all the time. We both got to get out and work out.
Speaker #1
Any quality food.
Speaker #0
Sometimes.
Speaker #1
So how do people If somebody wants to get food or have somebody that needs food or wants food, how do we connect that?
Speaker #0
They reach out. They're going to call us. So we, any way they will find a number, they can find us on our website, www.deonschicagodream.com. They can have all our contact information. We do not have signups on our website. Because we want someone to have that human element. So they'll be able to call us, they'll be placed on the wait list, and then from there, once we secure enough funding to at least deliver to them for a year, it's off to the races.
Speaker #1
You deliver it every year? Are you delivering for a full year once a week?
Speaker #0
No, no, no. We take them off the wait list when we've secured funding for at least a year because what we don't want to do is enroll them and then call them a month later and say, we can't afford that. Not this month. And so, you know, we have some members that we've been delivering to since the beginning. They're going to be delivered to in perpetuity. It's others who have called us and gotten off of our program when they've been in a better position. That's the thing. It's not a one size fits all thing.
Speaker #1
Consistency works.
Speaker #0
With quality.
Speaker #1
Gotta do it.
Speaker #0
Gotta do it.
Speaker #1
Every day. Every day. You said your mother runs every four days a week?
Speaker #2
She runs four days a week. Yep. Yes.
Speaker #1
Okay, so ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker #2
I can't wait till y'all meet. I can't wait till y'all meet. Yeah, we gotta run with her. That's it, we gotta run with her. Yeah, we gonna,
Speaker #0
we gonna. I can't wait. I can't wait.
Speaker #1
Uh-huh. So, I have been challenged today from some dreamers. I got my own damn dreams, okay? And I don't know if running is inclusive in it, but I won't take 60 pounds. I'll take 30, though.
Speaker #2
Just come walk with us.
Speaker #1
Okay, I'm going to come walk with you. Now, you walk, you didn't answer my question. You walk every day or you walk once a week? Oh,
Speaker #0
him? I'll run.
Speaker #1
How do you sign up?
Speaker #2
Yeah, I'll run.
Speaker #0
Oh, yeah, yeah, no, like, how do you sign up to be a part of you all?
Speaker #1
How do you sign up to be part of the program?
Speaker #2
Oh. On the website we have all the programs on there. And I just sign up for it? Yes, we have the 5K, the Council 5K program on there. We have a program where we do 13.1, the 5K trainings, everything's on the website. Or you can just meet us every Saturday at the Gold Dome, 100 North Central Park, 915.
Speaker #1
Is there a fee?
Speaker #2
No, everything free.
Speaker #0
That ain't how we roll. Everything free.
Speaker #2
Everything free. If we give you a yoga class, it's free. If we give you a strength class, it's free.
Speaker #1
You all are socialists. Yeah. Yes. You can say that. I can say you.
Speaker #0
I got socialist tendencies.
Speaker #1
You got socialist tendencies in the capitalistic society. That's it. I am just loving it. So ladies and gentlemen, we have had a great conversation today. We're talking to dreamers. Dreamers who dreamed the dream and made it a reality and transformed lives and communities. Mr. Dawson, Mr. Hoffman, so you got to eat right, you got to run, you got to run, you got to eat. And they're going to take me to Australia. Next August. I'm going. I'm Hermine Hartman with Indigo Studio. I want to thank you for watching.

About N'DIGO STUDIO

Experience Chicago's Most Influential Voices | N'DIGO STUDIO

What you'll discover:

- In-depth interviews with Chicago's most influential voices

- Fresh perspectives on politics, culture, and social justice

- Exclusive conversations with bestselling authors and artists

- Behind-the-scenes insights into Chicago's power players

- Candid discussions about issues affecting Black Chicago and beyond

Join the conversation as Hermene Hartman delivers thought-provoking dialogue that informs, challenges, and inspires.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About N'DIGO STUDIO

Experience Chicago's Most Influential Voices | N'DIGO STUDIO

What you'll discover:

- In-depth interviews with Chicago's most influential voices

- Fresh perspectives on politics, culture, and social justice

- Exclusive conversations with bestselling authors and artists

- Behind-the-scenes insights into Chicago's power players

- Candid discussions about issues affecting Black Chicago and beyond

Join the conversation as Hermene Hartman delivers thought-provoking dialogue that informs, challenges, and inspires.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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Description

From Englewood community fridges to West Side marathons, these dreamers prove that consistency and community can transform lives.

🎙️ Topics:

Ending food insecurity through Dion’s Chicago Dream
Building wellness movements with Peace Runners 773
The power of consistency: “One mile a day”
Collaboration, longevity & community impact

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and ndigo.com.

👉🏾 Follow host Hermene Hartman (@iamhermenehartman) and visit ndigo.com for more stories.

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Transcription

Speaker #0
Indigo Studio.
Speaker #1
Welcome to Indigo Studio. I'm Hermine Hartman. And today, we are going to talk to dreamers. They're going to tell us their stories and how they have actually transformed not only communities, but they have transformed lives. So in 2020, I had a young man on my show. His name was Deon Dawson. He was just beginning with his vision. And his vision was Dion's Chicago Dream. He had a refrigerator, he had a refrigerator in Englewood, and he stocked it every single day. And his passion was for people to have fresh food.
Speaker #0
My name is Dion Dawson, founder, executive director of Dion's Chicago Dream, a nonprofit in Englewood, tasked with stopping hunger, food insecurity. We filled this community fridge, Project Dream fridge. with free fruits, vegetables and water for Englewood residents. We're going to feel this every day, every single day, Monday through Friday, no matter what, we're going to be there. And since September 11th, we've been there every weekday.
Speaker #1
Well, today he is with Delivery Trucks. He is a multimillion dollar business and he has made profound changes about to grow. Not only in the city of Chicago, but also elsewhere.
Speaker #0
Dream Deliveries is our flagship program and product that sees us delivering a week's worth of brand new fruits and vegetables directly to households all over now the county. It started with about 15 households on two blocks in the city. Since then, we've scaled to more than 4,300 households across 160 different zip codes just in, you know, less than five years.
Speaker #1
And joining Dion today is Jackie Hoffman. He is the founder. of Race Runners 773. It's a movement that began with he and his mother walking in Garfield Park. And today he brings health and fitness and trains people for marathons all over the world.
Speaker #2
On this side of town, it's a movement, and I want y'all to know that from now on, what we're doing is getting people to move in this community, and as they continue to see it, they can envision it, and then they will start moving too. That's what it's about.
Speaker #1
Now ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you, they've challenged me. They challenged me to be in a marathon in Australia. I got one year to prepare and ladies they're going to tell you how to lose weight. All you got to do is walk one mile a day for I don't know how long but you can get 60 pounds off. Oh boy this is going to be a good discussion. There's a report by the way that talks about hunger and what that Greater Chicago Food Depository report says is that 36 percent of people in the Chicagoland area Have the risk of food insecurity. That's about 1.4 million households. So join me in this health and wellness discussion. It's a good one and they challenge me. So today I've got dreamers with me. They are dreamers who turn dreams into realities that have transformed communities. So I want you to meet Mr. Deion Dawson. We talked to you some years ago when you was just getting off the ground.
Speaker #0
Just getting started.
Speaker #1
One refrigerator in Englewood to deal with food, and you went shopping every day. Yes. Where are we today?
Speaker #0
We bigger.
Speaker #1
We bigger?
Speaker #0
A little bit bigger. We are providing about a quarter million pounds per month. purchase, pack and deliver.
Speaker #1
Quarter million pounds.
Speaker #0
Quarter million pounds. We purchase, pack and deliver. We're delivering weekly produce box, 10 pounds of fresh produce to about 5,300 households throughout the county per week. We have about 53 employees and about 15 delivery crew.
Speaker #1
Is the food still free?
Speaker #0
Oh, absolutely. We don't charge, we haven't charged. We're about 5 million pounds in and we've never charged anybody a penny.
Speaker #1
Okay, so I get a food box, what's in it? You,
Speaker #0
we have a. roster of about 50 or 60 different fruits and vegetables that we cycle through. So one week could be fruits next week. It could be vegetables or it could be a hybrid box. So anything from three or four different type of apples to some citrus, black kale, Swiss chard, pomegranates, cherries, pineapples, tomatoes. Yeah, we go through it.
Speaker #1
How did you grow? Because you have grown magnificently.
Speaker #0
I think it's just the sheer ignorance of it. I think it's me not knowing and not coming from at all. And just learning and learning and applying. I think it was the me holding myself accountable to making that I can expect explain why I did something. I think that's the thing that's always motivated me. And so as we looked at processes and as we looked at programs, I looked at the fridge and I said, well, okay, is this scalable? And it wasn't because the fridge was outside on someone else's property. And it was way too focused on that location. So granted, it was a great start with feeding about 15 to 20 people per day. But then how do we get to the people who can't get there? And so ultimately we looked at combining two different approaches, which is Amazon's logistics and HelloFresh's ability to get a kit or a box directly to the household. I said, OK, well, if we purchase the produce and we pay the people and we own the trucks and assets, then we can get it anywhere. And so that's where we started.
Speaker #1
Now, Jackie, you are on the west side, Garfield.
Speaker #2
On the west side of Chicago.
Speaker #1
So you have done a wellness program.
Speaker #2
through running tell me about your program and how it started it started with my mom um it was around the same time we both started at the same time in 2020. i had came home and i'm listening to my mom have a phone call with the doctor and this is during covet so that was you know usually when you have a doctor visit they go behind the doors close the door you never know what happens but i'm listening to the doctor talking about the life expectancy got within our communities is the that was 62 at the time And then saying three miles down the street it was 85. But then also telling my mom, pre-diabetic, high blood pressure, hey, these are the number one causes of death within this community, especially in the black and brown communities. And I remember as a son saying, like, if I don't fight for nothing, I'm going to fight for that lady. I'm going to fight for my mom. So I remember challenging her to start doing a mile a day. From my mom doing that mile a day, she lost over 60 pounds. Her medications went from 13 to, as of right now, zero. Did you walk with her? I walked with her. I ran. You ran, she walked. I ran and I made sure. So we went to the park. She'll walk, I'll run. But what she did, our program, we call it Younger Hearts, is she came back with a whole group of, I call them the Younger Hearts, the elder ladies, and they all had their own.
Speaker #0
She went and got her girls.
Speaker #2
She got the girls. So they all were walking. They all were walking. How many?
Speaker #1
How many people was it?
Speaker #2
It was about eight. She came and it was just growing. She walked her mile and she used to get on Facebook Live like, y'all, I'm getting my walk in. And next thing you know, I just seen the numbers start to grow. And I just seen more of the younger hearts start to come out. So while I run and I seen them walk, I was like, this is what our community needs.
Speaker #1
One mile a day.
Speaker #2
One mile a day.
Speaker #1
Every day.
Speaker #2
She did it every day. Just the consistency.
Speaker #1
Okay, so today, so you scaled up too. Yes. What did you scale up to? How many people today? Woo!
Speaker #2
Over 50,000 miles throughout the Westside. 50,000 miles? Over 50,000 miles throughout our Westside. They like to call it a run desert. They deem our community is not runnable, walkable, so we ran them. 50,000 miles, over 1,100 people have did a 5K, which is 3 miles. 187 last year had did a half marathon, which is 13.1. And we had over 43 people do Chicago Marathon just last year, but now... We have grown to where people, I have the Boston Marathon, Tokyo Marathon, Sydney. You're kidding. I just came back from Sydney, yes. Oh, they do it. Running for the movement. It's a movement. Bringing help to our communities. I'm always inspired by my brother.
Speaker #1
Are you training them to run marathons?
Speaker #2
We have training programs, 5K programs, 10K marathon, half marathon. So all of our programming is where we start to just say like, what does the community need? With the nutrition, we had this a partner with Dionne Chicago Dream. It was like, okay, if The food insecurity is the problem, like let's bring in some boxes. If we talk nutrition and cooking and cooking courses and nutrition classes, mental health workshops, anything that the community needed, we put an entire program to make sure that an individual is better off as a quality of life at the end of our program.
Speaker #3
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Speaker #1
Join the circle of life at the Lion King.
Speaker #4
On stage now at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through October 19th. Tickets at broadwayandchicago.com.
Speaker #3
At ComEd, we understand a little help can really make someone's day. That's why we provide financial assistance and billing options to help you pay and manage your electric bill. Use the ComEd Smart Assistance Manager to discover bill assistance and savings options designed with you in mind.
Speaker #1
Join the circle of life at the Lion King.
Speaker #4
On stage now at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through October 19th. Tickets at broadwayandchicago.com
Speaker #1
So I want to run with you. So tell me, do I have to be at a certain place, a certain day, a certain time?
Speaker #0
The name of this program is Couch to
Speaker #2
5K. You get it off the couch, just like that.
Speaker #0
So that's the thing. That's why they're so amazing.
Speaker #1
You run together.
Speaker #2
Yes.
Speaker #1
Do I have to meet you at a certain place at a certain time?
Speaker #2
We meet at the Gold Dome every Saturday. Rain, sleet, snow, cold, hot.
Speaker #0
Every Saturday through the year, they there.
Speaker #2
Running through the biggest thing is that consistency. Like, we didn't want to have just an eight-week program. What we looked at and said, like, our community, when we're talking about that healing phase, we need consistency to make sure that people know that every Saturday we're going to be there. And just like his delivery program is, like, he told me beginning of stages, like, the beginning stages, consistency. Like, they can't miss a day with delivering those boxes. So with us, it's like we can't miss those days with making sure our people are walking and taking space within that community.
Speaker #1
So you all work together.
Speaker #2
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker #1
So do you deliver some food to his people?
Speaker #0
To some of them? Oh yeah, we started, look when we started, first of all we went to high school together and we didn't see each other for almost a decade. So he went college, football,
Speaker #1
army,
Speaker #0
yeah and then for me I did Navy, came back and then started my org and then we linked back up when I had an event for Halloween in 2020. And He was just getting started, I'm just getting started. And I just took ownership of the relationship and making sure that everything that I learn, I'm talking to him. Everything he's learning, he's teaching me. And so it's more about collaboration and education. And from there, it's like, okay, hey, what do you need? You know what I mean? If I meet somebody, even if it does not apply to me and my work, if it applies to whether I'm halfway around the world, I'll FaceTime them and be like, hey. I need you to talk to this person or something like that.
Speaker #1
So even if you're collaborating.
Speaker #0
Absolutely. And I understand the role that I play. I understand that information can't die with me. So just as much as I appreciate the interview I had with you four years ago, I'm more impressed, not at our growth, but because I'm here with somebody else.
Speaker #1
I trained for the marathon one time. I went through the training and that's what I wanted. I wanted to train the walk, the, you know, the walk, run, the walk, run, the walk, run. so Marathon time came and I got in it. I did eight miles. I was so proud of my eight miles I didn't make it all the way but I made proud of my eight miles. Let me tell you what stopped me My knees began to hurt And the solution for that is to get into that cold ice tub. I couldn't do it That was that was it was too.
Speaker #0
Oh, no, it was too cold But see it's crazy because i've never ever thought about you not being able to do anything
Speaker #1
Well, I stopped. I'm walking.
Speaker #2
You just needed a piece runner.
Speaker #0
Yeah, we're gonna get you back.
Speaker #2
You just needed a piece runner. You had that group.
Speaker #0
I'm gonna tell you, they infectious. So I'm letting you know that. It ain't gonna cut it.
Speaker #1
But you running and they walking.
Speaker #2
We had some people that were running too. It's a community. And tell me,
Speaker #1
you got people in the marathon, because I mean marathon training is, that's tough. That's not for faint of heart. You gotta dedicate to it. Oh yeah. So you say you got people in the marathon and they go all over the world?
Speaker #2
Just got back from Sydney, Australia. We had 11 people run the Sydney Marathon. We all fundraised. We made over $30,000. We're heading to Berlin next week and we're about to have six people do 26.2. One of my wife, I got to always throw her out there, Tiffany. She's running with me. Your mother still walks? My mother walks. So she walks the 5Ks and the 8Ks. But now she's in the couch to 5K program and we're going to get her to run a 5K.
Speaker #3
Whether you're considering an electric vehicle at work or at home, the tools, resources, and rebates available at ComEd.com slash EV make transitioning to an electric vehicle easier than ever before.
Speaker #1
Join the circle of life at the Lion King.
Speaker #4
On stage now at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through October 19th. Tickets at broadwayandchicago.com
Speaker #3
At ComEd, we understand a little help can really make someone's day. That's why we provide financial assistance and billing options to help you pay and manage your electric bill.
Speaker #2
Now, see what I can do.
Speaker #1
Join the circle of life at the Lion King.
Speaker #4
On stage now at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through October 19th. Tickets at broadwayandchicago.com
Speaker #1
Tell me how you actually see that hands-on transformation.
Speaker #0
Well, I think the first thing is that, you know, with what we've been able to do with Dionne's Chicago Dream is we've been able to change the conversation. Because I think a lot of times when we think about, you know, feeding people, what we've ultimately wanted to do and how we wanted to transform it is we really want to show people the tangible representation when it comes to the supply chain. We want people to understand when you hear food system, We want to know what that means. We want people to understand, and not only do we know where our food is being sourced from, but you understand how we got it from sourcing it all the way to you. And that's what our story has been about. And every single life is important. And so what we wanted to do was, when we started in Englewood and since have grown, is just understand there's importance in making sure that longer, healthier lives is something that is not only the true north and the goal for us. But also understanding that how we do it every single day is important, that consistency. So our team is out there delivering, and that's where you're going to see us. Whenever you see us, when you see D.I. Chicago Dream, you see us in traffic. That's the difference.
Speaker #1
So if someone's looking at this show, and they want to get involved, tell me what do they need to do? How do they do it?
Speaker #0
Well, I think I would want them to ask, what does that involvement look like? Now, of course, does it look like supporting us? You go to our website, and you can become a monthly donor. you know, five, ten, twenty dollars that goes a long way towards helping our programming or providing for our jobs or our food procurement, does involved look like needing a job? You know what I mean? Then that's emailing and reaching out. So potentially we can hire you either on our build team, our delivery team, or our community health workers. So that involvement and being part of both of our movements is, you know, knowing and lifting it up from person to person. You know, going on social media, sharing, liking, and commenting. and making sure that you're taking the information that we're giving and educating yourself. Do you know someone that could benefit from working with us? Do you know someone that could benefit from running with them? Because having somebody that's 65 years old that never left Englewood, and next year running in Sydney with Jackie is something that goes to the tapestry of that family. Knowing that grandma ran, that's something, that's different, that's what it's about.
Speaker #1
That's a revolution.
Speaker #0
Yeah, that's changing the story.
Speaker #1
So if somebody wants to get involved, Jackie, with your RUN program, how do they do it?
Speaker #2
www.peacerunner773.com. We have all of our programs on the website also. And just like he said, we're rolling. We're hiring people, we're getting contractors, we got contractors, we got yoga coaches, we got strength coaches. We want to make sure that all of those barriers when we talk about holistic health and wellness in our field. We also do youth mentorship and do youth run programs. We want to change that narrative.
Speaker #1
How do you see the transformation that you've... brought about? How do you really see it in terms of changing lives? Because that's what you all are doing.
Speaker #2
I'm watching the community transform. I no longer have to go to Oak Park to see people running in the community. I'm seeing people walk in the community. I'm seeing people not afraid to go outside their doors. And that's so important when we're talking about changing the narrative, because we can no longer say like people are not outside in Garfield Park.
Speaker #1
You see longevity Longevity increasing?
Speaker #2
Yes, we just created a mural. Of a person running because we wanted people to see that image. We wanted to change that narrative and that's how intentional we were with it. And what we're seeing now is like, I'm seeing my neighbors. That's what we're talking about when we talk about community. I know my neighbors. When I'm coming outside, I see people run, I see people walk. I'm going to the cafe all the way in Lawndale and I'm seeing other people within the community taking space. And If that's the legacy that I have as a person, I'm grateful. Four times a week they're having consistent programs, so that's getting them to leave outside of their house, aside from just the movement piece, but they need each other. And that's what community is talking about, so we're talking about the transformation. This one lady, Ms. Curl, she's like, I gotta get out that house, I'm coming to walk. She's like, my knee bothered me, but I'm gonna walk today.
Speaker #1
You are concentrated in Garfield Park. On the West Side, would you extend and expand in other communities?
Speaker #2
It's coming. It's coming. We expanding. It'll be the same program, but in other communities.
Speaker #1
What's your background in physical fitness and all that? How did you get involved?
Speaker #2
Division one football player. I did a workout with the Bears. I was at 320. My personal transformation, I lost about 70, 75 pounds. Running was the tool for me. But just seeing the mental clarity and seeing what it brought to me, I wanted to share that feeling with everybody. I did arena league for a while, but I always thought that I was connected with wellness and connected with fitness because of me playing sports.
Speaker #1
I worked out with the Bears once. I didn't know they were Bears, so we were just in the gym. And I didn't know, I didn't really know. It wasn't like the whole team.
Speaker #0
So you done did marathon training, you done worked out with the Bears.
Speaker #1
But wait, they had me lift. right yeah and I lifted a hundred pounds but I didn't know it was a hundred pounds and when they said it was a hundred pounds I said oh my god that's heavy I had it up though You did it.
Speaker #2
If you put it up, you got it.
Speaker #1
I got a few things up my sleeve.
Speaker #2
I want to know what they are.
Speaker #0
No secret. In the next six weeks, we're going to be announcing. a for-profit company that we've founded that's going to be a tech company. So we're actually going to be launching.
Speaker #1
You said you wanted to go into tech. You wanted to do tech. So we got that coming? Oh,
Speaker #0
yeah. Oh, yeah. Tech company is going to, the name of the program is Cosmic Crate. And Cosmic Crate will basically be Dionne's Chicago Dream as a product. It will basically equip small and medium businesses with the ability to connect inventory and people to last mile delivery. So we'll be able to scale this nationwide and worldwide. And I'm really excited.
Speaker #1
We're going to see that before the year's out?
Speaker #2
Oh,
Speaker #0
it's happening. It's happening. So in about three weeks, behind the scenes, all of our operations, delivery, and inventory will be inside the program and the platform. So it's going to be live before the end of the year.
Speaker #1
That's fabulous. And you will extend, I think, hope into other communities systematically?
Speaker #2
Expanding. Yes, ma'am.
Speaker #0
Did you say that you were going to train her for the Chicago Marathon? Trying to hook us. We're running this back. Did that?
Speaker #2
We're running this back.
Speaker #0
Is it happening?
Speaker #2
We only need about 20 more hours.
Speaker #1
I'm going to be trained. I'm not doing it in Chicago.
Speaker #0
Oh, let's go.
Speaker #1
I'm going.
Speaker #2
elsewhere.
Speaker #0
We don't roll into it.
Speaker #1
Where do you want to go? Let's talk.
Speaker #2
Where are you at? You in Paris? We also a charity partner at a New York marathon.
Speaker #1
She want to go abroad.
Speaker #0
Wait, you just did Australia.
Speaker #2
I did Australia.
Speaker #0
What about next year you do Australia?
Speaker #1
How many miles?
Speaker #0
26.
Speaker #1
I got to run 26?
Speaker #2
No,
Speaker #0
you got to finish. So listen to me. It just happened we got a year. We got Hermine Hartman,
Speaker #1
what month is it? When is it?
Speaker #2
It's August. It's August, so we got a year.
Speaker #1
Okay, we can do that.
Speaker #0
Let's go. Hermine Hartman and Indigo Studios partnering with Peace Runners.
Speaker #2
We got to start the run from the studio.
Speaker #0
That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker #1
Challenge me, if you will. Okay. All right, all right.
Speaker #0
That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker #1
So I want to get ladies, you know, we're looking at drugs to take, we're looking at exercise to do, but you gave a real key. one mile.
Speaker #0
One mile a day.
Speaker #1
A day. One mile. And that comes out to 60 miles eventually. Now, I ride my bike. That's it. That's the movement.
Speaker #2
Ain't nothing wrong with that. And that 15 to 20 minutes of cardio. Yeah. That's about that one mile. Like 15 to 20 minutes of cardio. That's what that one mile is equivalent of?
Speaker #0
Yes. 15 to 20 minutes of cardio. Let's go. I'm excited.
Speaker #2
I provide all of us quality of life. That's why I tell people, like, don't look at the 100-pound days. I just need you to move. And that's our motto. I'm going to tell you, Dion also FaceTimed me from the gym all the time. We both got to get out and work out.
Speaker #1
Any quality food.
Speaker #0
Sometimes.
Speaker #1
So how do people If somebody wants to get food or have somebody that needs food or wants food, how do we connect that?
Speaker #0
They reach out. They're going to call us. So we, any way they will find a number, they can find us on our website, www.deonschicagodream.com. They can have all our contact information. We do not have signups on our website. Because we want someone to have that human element. So they'll be able to call us, they'll be placed on the wait list, and then from there, once we secure enough funding to at least deliver to them for a year, it's off to the races.
Speaker #1
You deliver it every year? Are you delivering for a full year once a week?
Speaker #0
No, no, no. We take them off the wait list when we've secured funding for at least a year because what we don't want to do is enroll them and then call them a month later and say, we can't afford that. Not this month. And so, you know, we have some members that we've been delivering to since the beginning. They're going to be delivered to in perpetuity. It's others who have called us and gotten off of our program when they've been in a better position. That's the thing. It's not a one size fits all thing.
Speaker #1
Consistency works.
Speaker #0
With quality.
Speaker #1
Gotta do it.
Speaker #0
Gotta do it.
Speaker #1
Every day. Every day. You said your mother runs every four days a week?
Speaker #2
She runs four days a week. Yep. Yes.
Speaker #1
Okay, so ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker #2
I can't wait till y'all meet. I can't wait till y'all meet. Yeah, we gotta run with her. That's it, we gotta run with her. Yeah, we gonna,
Speaker #0
we gonna. I can't wait. I can't wait.
Speaker #1
Uh-huh. So, I have been challenged today from some dreamers. I got my own damn dreams, okay? And I don't know if running is inclusive in it, but I won't take 60 pounds. I'll take 30, though.
Speaker #2
Just come walk with us.
Speaker #1
Okay, I'm going to come walk with you. Now, you walk, you didn't answer my question. You walk every day or you walk once a week? Oh,
Speaker #0
him? I'll run.
Speaker #1
How do you sign up?
Speaker #2
Yeah, I'll run.
Speaker #0
Oh, yeah, yeah, no, like, how do you sign up to be a part of you all?
Speaker #1
How do you sign up to be part of the program?
Speaker #2
Oh. On the website we have all the programs on there. And I just sign up for it? Yes, we have the 5K, the Council 5K program on there. We have a program where we do 13.1, the 5K trainings, everything's on the website. Or you can just meet us every Saturday at the Gold Dome, 100 North Central Park, 915.
Speaker #1
Is there a fee?
Speaker #2
No, everything free.
Speaker #0
That ain't how we roll. Everything free.
Speaker #2
Everything free. If we give you a yoga class, it's free. If we give you a strength class, it's free.
Speaker #1
You all are socialists. Yeah. Yes. You can say that. I can say you.
Speaker #0
I got socialist tendencies.
Speaker #1
You got socialist tendencies in the capitalistic society. That's it. I am just loving it. So ladies and gentlemen, we have had a great conversation today. We're talking to dreamers. Dreamers who dreamed the dream and made it a reality and transformed lives and communities. Mr. Dawson, Mr. Hoffman, so you got to eat right, you got to run, you got to run, you got to eat. And they're going to take me to Australia. Next August. I'm going. I'm Hermine Hartman with Indigo Studio. I want to thank you for watching.

About N'DIGO STUDIO

Experience Chicago's Most Influential Voices | N'DIGO STUDIO

What you'll discover:

- In-depth interviews with Chicago's most influential voices

- Fresh perspectives on politics, culture, and social justice

- Exclusive conversations with bestselling authors and artists

- Behind-the-scenes insights into Chicago's power players

- Candid discussions about issues affecting Black Chicago and beyond

Join the conversation as Hermene Hartman delivers thought-provoking dialogue that informs, challenges, and inspires.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About N'DIGO STUDIO

Experience Chicago's Most Influential Voices | N'DIGO STUDIO

What you'll discover:

- In-depth interviews with Chicago's most influential voices

- Fresh perspectives on politics, culture, and social justice

- Exclusive conversations with bestselling authors and artists

- Behind-the-scenes insights into Chicago's power players

- Candid discussions about issues affecting Black Chicago and beyond

Join the conversation as Hermene Hartman delivers thought-provoking dialogue that informs, challenges, and inspires.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Description

From Englewood community fridges to West Side marathons, these dreamers prove that consistency and community can transform lives.

🎙️ Topics:

Ending food insecurity through Dion’s Chicago Dream
Building wellness movements with Peace Runners 773
The power of consistency: “One mile a day”
Collaboration, longevity & community impact

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and ndigo.com.

👉🏾 Follow host Hermene Hartman (@iamhermenehartman) and visit ndigo.com for more stories.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Transcription

Speaker #0
Indigo Studio.
Speaker #1
Welcome to Indigo Studio. I'm Hermine Hartman. And today, we are going to talk to dreamers. They're going to tell us their stories and how they have actually transformed not only communities, but they have transformed lives. So in 2020, I had a young man on my show. His name was Deon Dawson. He was just beginning with his vision. And his vision was Dion's Chicago Dream. He had a refrigerator, he had a refrigerator in Englewood, and he stocked it every single day. And his passion was for people to have fresh food.
Speaker #0
My name is Dion Dawson, founder, executive director of Dion's Chicago Dream, a nonprofit in Englewood, tasked with stopping hunger, food insecurity. We filled this community fridge, Project Dream fridge. with free fruits, vegetables and water for Englewood residents. We're going to feel this every day, every single day, Monday through Friday, no matter what, we're going to be there. And since September 11th, we've been there every weekday.
Speaker #1
Well, today he is with Delivery Trucks. He is a multimillion dollar business and he has made profound changes about to grow. Not only in the city of Chicago, but also elsewhere.
Speaker #0
Dream Deliveries is our flagship program and product that sees us delivering a week's worth of brand new fruits and vegetables directly to households all over now the county. It started with about 15 households on two blocks in the city. Since then, we've scaled to more than 4,300 households across 160 different zip codes just in, you know, less than five years.
Speaker #1
And joining Dion today is Jackie Hoffman. He is the founder. of Race Runners 773. It's a movement that began with he and his mother walking in Garfield Park. And today he brings health and fitness and trains people for marathons all over the world.
Speaker #2
On this side of town, it's a movement, and I want y'all to know that from now on, what we're doing is getting people to move in this community, and as they continue to see it, they can envision it, and then they will start moving too. That's what it's about.
Speaker #1
Now ladies and gentlemen, let me tell you, they've challenged me. They challenged me to be in a marathon in Australia. I got one year to prepare and ladies they're going to tell you how to lose weight. All you got to do is walk one mile a day for I don't know how long but you can get 60 pounds off. Oh boy this is going to be a good discussion. There's a report by the way that talks about hunger and what that Greater Chicago Food Depository report says is that 36 percent of people in the Chicagoland area Have the risk of food insecurity. That's about 1.4 million households. So join me in this health and wellness discussion. It's a good one and they challenge me. So today I've got dreamers with me. They are dreamers who turn dreams into realities that have transformed communities. So I want you to meet Mr. Deion Dawson. We talked to you some years ago when you was just getting off the ground.
Speaker #0
Just getting started.
Speaker #1
One refrigerator in Englewood to deal with food, and you went shopping every day. Yes. Where are we today?
Speaker #0
We bigger.
Speaker #1
We bigger?
Speaker #0
A little bit bigger. We are providing about a quarter million pounds per month. purchase, pack and deliver.
Speaker #1
Quarter million pounds.
Speaker #0
Quarter million pounds. We purchase, pack and deliver. We're delivering weekly produce box, 10 pounds of fresh produce to about 5,300 households throughout the county per week. We have about 53 employees and about 15 delivery crew.
Speaker #1
Is the food still free?
Speaker #0
Oh, absolutely. We don't charge, we haven't charged. We're about 5 million pounds in and we've never charged anybody a penny.
Speaker #1
Okay, so I get a food box, what's in it? You,
Speaker #0
we have a. roster of about 50 or 60 different fruits and vegetables that we cycle through. So one week could be fruits next week. It could be vegetables or it could be a hybrid box. So anything from three or four different type of apples to some citrus, black kale, Swiss chard, pomegranates, cherries, pineapples, tomatoes. Yeah, we go through it.
Speaker #1
How did you grow? Because you have grown magnificently.
Speaker #0
I think it's just the sheer ignorance of it. I think it's me not knowing and not coming from at all. And just learning and learning and applying. I think it was the me holding myself accountable to making that I can expect explain why I did something. I think that's the thing that's always motivated me. And so as we looked at processes and as we looked at programs, I looked at the fridge and I said, well, okay, is this scalable? And it wasn't because the fridge was outside on someone else's property. And it was way too focused on that location. So granted, it was a great start with feeding about 15 to 20 people per day. But then how do we get to the people who can't get there? And so ultimately we looked at combining two different approaches, which is Amazon's logistics and HelloFresh's ability to get a kit or a box directly to the household. I said, OK, well, if we purchase the produce and we pay the people and we own the trucks and assets, then we can get it anywhere. And so that's where we started.
Speaker #1
Now, Jackie, you are on the west side, Garfield.
Speaker #2
On the west side of Chicago.
Speaker #1
So you have done a wellness program.
Speaker #2
through running tell me about your program and how it started it started with my mom um it was around the same time we both started at the same time in 2020. i had came home and i'm listening to my mom have a phone call with the doctor and this is during covet so that was you know usually when you have a doctor visit they go behind the doors close the door you never know what happens but i'm listening to the doctor talking about the life expectancy got within our communities is the that was 62 at the time And then saying three miles down the street it was 85. But then also telling my mom, pre-diabetic, high blood pressure, hey, these are the number one causes of death within this community, especially in the black and brown communities. And I remember as a son saying, like, if I don't fight for nothing, I'm going to fight for that lady. I'm going to fight for my mom. So I remember challenging her to start doing a mile a day. From my mom doing that mile a day, she lost over 60 pounds. Her medications went from 13 to, as of right now, zero. Did you walk with her? I walked with her. I ran. You ran, she walked. I ran and I made sure. So we went to the park. She'll walk, I'll run. But what she did, our program, we call it Younger Hearts, is she came back with a whole group of, I call them the Younger Hearts, the elder ladies, and they all had their own.
Speaker #0
She went and got her girls.
Speaker #2
She got the girls. So they all were walking. They all were walking. How many?
Speaker #1
How many people was it?
Speaker #2
It was about eight. She came and it was just growing. She walked her mile and she used to get on Facebook Live like, y'all, I'm getting my walk in. And next thing you know, I just seen the numbers start to grow. And I just seen more of the younger hearts start to come out. So while I run and I seen them walk, I was like, this is what our community needs.
Speaker #1
One mile a day.
Speaker #2
One mile a day.
Speaker #1
Every day.
Speaker #2
She did it every day. Just the consistency.
Speaker #1
Okay, so today, so you scaled up too. Yes. What did you scale up to? How many people today? Woo!
Speaker #2
Over 50,000 miles throughout the Westside. 50,000 miles? Over 50,000 miles throughout our Westside. They like to call it a run desert. They deem our community is not runnable, walkable, so we ran them. 50,000 miles, over 1,100 people have did a 5K, which is 3 miles. 187 last year had did a half marathon, which is 13.1. And we had over 43 people do Chicago Marathon just last year, but now... We have grown to where people, I have the Boston Marathon, Tokyo Marathon, Sydney. You're kidding. I just came back from Sydney, yes. Oh, they do it. Running for the movement. It's a movement. Bringing help to our communities. I'm always inspired by my brother.
Speaker #1
Are you training them to run marathons?
Speaker #2
We have training programs, 5K programs, 10K marathon, half marathon. So all of our programming is where we start to just say like, what does the community need? With the nutrition, we had this a partner with Dionne Chicago Dream. It was like, okay, if The food insecurity is the problem, like let's bring in some boxes. If we talk nutrition and cooking and cooking courses and nutrition classes, mental health workshops, anything that the community needed, we put an entire program to make sure that an individual is better off as a quality of life at the end of our program.
Speaker #3
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Speaker #1
Join the circle of life at the Lion King.
Speaker #4
On stage now at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through October 19th. Tickets at broadwayandchicago.com.
Speaker #3
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Speaker #1
Join the circle of life at the Lion King.
Speaker #4
On stage now at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through October 19th. Tickets at broadwayandchicago.com
Speaker #1
So I want to run with you. So tell me, do I have to be at a certain place, a certain day, a certain time?
Speaker #0
The name of this program is Couch to
Speaker #2
5K. You get it off the couch, just like that.
Speaker #0
So that's the thing. That's why they're so amazing.
Speaker #1
You run together.
Speaker #2
Yes.
Speaker #1
Do I have to meet you at a certain place at a certain time?
Speaker #2
We meet at the Gold Dome every Saturday. Rain, sleet, snow, cold, hot.
Speaker #0
Every Saturday through the year, they there.
Speaker #2
Running through the biggest thing is that consistency. Like, we didn't want to have just an eight-week program. What we looked at and said, like, our community, when we're talking about that healing phase, we need consistency to make sure that people know that every Saturday we're going to be there. And just like his delivery program is, like, he told me beginning of stages, like, the beginning stages, consistency. Like, they can't miss a day with delivering those boxes. So with us, it's like we can't miss those days with making sure our people are walking and taking space within that community.
Speaker #1
So you all work together.
Speaker #2
Oh yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker #1
So do you deliver some food to his people?
Speaker #0
To some of them? Oh yeah, we started, look when we started, first of all we went to high school together and we didn't see each other for almost a decade. So he went college, football,
Speaker #1
army,
Speaker #0
yeah and then for me I did Navy, came back and then started my org and then we linked back up when I had an event for Halloween in 2020. And He was just getting started, I'm just getting started. And I just took ownership of the relationship and making sure that everything that I learn, I'm talking to him. Everything he's learning, he's teaching me. And so it's more about collaboration and education. And from there, it's like, okay, hey, what do you need? You know what I mean? If I meet somebody, even if it does not apply to me and my work, if it applies to whether I'm halfway around the world, I'll FaceTime them and be like, hey. I need you to talk to this person or something like that.
Speaker #1
So even if you're collaborating.
Speaker #0
Absolutely. And I understand the role that I play. I understand that information can't die with me. So just as much as I appreciate the interview I had with you four years ago, I'm more impressed, not at our growth, but because I'm here with somebody else.
Speaker #1
I trained for the marathon one time. I went through the training and that's what I wanted. I wanted to train the walk, the, you know, the walk, run, the walk, run, the walk, run. so Marathon time came and I got in it. I did eight miles. I was so proud of my eight miles I didn't make it all the way but I made proud of my eight miles. Let me tell you what stopped me My knees began to hurt And the solution for that is to get into that cold ice tub. I couldn't do it That was that was it was too.
Speaker #0
Oh, no, it was too cold But see it's crazy because i've never ever thought about you not being able to do anything
Speaker #1
Well, I stopped. I'm walking.
Speaker #2
You just needed a piece runner.
Speaker #0
Yeah, we're gonna get you back.
Speaker #2
You just needed a piece runner. You had that group.
Speaker #0
I'm gonna tell you, they infectious. So I'm letting you know that. It ain't gonna cut it.
Speaker #1
But you running and they walking.
Speaker #2
We had some people that were running too. It's a community. And tell me,
Speaker #1
you got people in the marathon, because I mean marathon training is, that's tough. That's not for faint of heart. You gotta dedicate to it. Oh yeah. So you say you got people in the marathon and they go all over the world?
Speaker #2
Just got back from Sydney, Australia. We had 11 people run the Sydney Marathon. We all fundraised. We made over $30,000. We're heading to Berlin next week and we're about to have six people do 26.2. One of my wife, I got to always throw her out there, Tiffany. She's running with me. Your mother still walks? My mother walks. So she walks the 5Ks and the 8Ks. But now she's in the couch to 5K program and we're going to get her to run a 5K.
Speaker #3
Whether you're considering an electric vehicle at work or at home, the tools, resources, and rebates available at ComEd.com slash EV make transitioning to an electric vehicle easier than ever before.
Speaker #1
Join the circle of life at the Lion King.
Speaker #4
On stage now at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through October 19th. Tickets at broadwayandchicago.com
Speaker #3
At ComEd, we understand a little help can really make someone's day. That's why we provide financial assistance and billing options to help you pay and manage your electric bill.
Speaker #2
Now, see what I can do.
Speaker #1
Join the circle of life at the Lion King.
Speaker #4
On stage now at the Cadillac Palace Theatre through October 19th. Tickets at broadwayandchicago.com
Speaker #1
Tell me how you actually see that hands-on transformation.
Speaker #0
Well, I think the first thing is that, you know, with what we've been able to do with Dionne's Chicago Dream is we've been able to change the conversation. Because I think a lot of times when we think about, you know, feeding people, what we've ultimately wanted to do and how we wanted to transform it is we really want to show people the tangible representation when it comes to the supply chain. We want people to understand when you hear food system, We want to know what that means. We want people to understand, and not only do we know where our food is being sourced from, but you understand how we got it from sourcing it all the way to you. And that's what our story has been about. And every single life is important. And so what we wanted to do was, when we started in Englewood and since have grown, is just understand there's importance in making sure that longer, healthier lives is something that is not only the true north and the goal for us. But also understanding that how we do it every single day is important, that consistency. So our team is out there delivering, and that's where you're going to see us. Whenever you see us, when you see D.I. Chicago Dream, you see us in traffic. That's the difference.
Speaker #1
So if someone's looking at this show, and they want to get involved, tell me what do they need to do? How do they do it?
Speaker #0
Well, I think I would want them to ask, what does that involvement look like? Now, of course, does it look like supporting us? You go to our website, and you can become a monthly donor. you know, five, ten, twenty dollars that goes a long way towards helping our programming or providing for our jobs or our food procurement, does involved look like needing a job? You know what I mean? Then that's emailing and reaching out. So potentially we can hire you either on our build team, our delivery team, or our community health workers. So that involvement and being part of both of our movements is, you know, knowing and lifting it up from person to person. You know, going on social media, sharing, liking, and commenting. and making sure that you're taking the information that we're giving and educating yourself. Do you know someone that could benefit from working with us? Do you know someone that could benefit from running with them? Because having somebody that's 65 years old that never left Englewood, and next year running in Sydney with Jackie is something that goes to the tapestry of that family. Knowing that grandma ran, that's something, that's different, that's what it's about.
Speaker #1
That's a revolution.
Speaker #0
Yeah, that's changing the story.
Speaker #1
So if somebody wants to get involved, Jackie, with your RUN program, how do they do it?
Speaker #2
www.peacerunner773.com. We have all of our programs on the website also. And just like he said, we're rolling. We're hiring people, we're getting contractors, we got contractors, we got yoga coaches, we got strength coaches. We want to make sure that all of those barriers when we talk about holistic health and wellness in our field. We also do youth mentorship and do youth run programs. We want to change that narrative.
Speaker #1
How do you see the transformation that you've... brought about? How do you really see it in terms of changing lives? Because that's what you all are doing.
Speaker #2
I'm watching the community transform. I no longer have to go to Oak Park to see people running in the community. I'm seeing people walk in the community. I'm seeing people not afraid to go outside their doors. And that's so important when we're talking about changing the narrative, because we can no longer say like people are not outside in Garfield Park.
Speaker #1
You see longevity Longevity increasing?
Speaker #2
Yes, we just created a mural. Of a person running because we wanted people to see that image. We wanted to change that narrative and that's how intentional we were with it. And what we're seeing now is like, I'm seeing my neighbors. That's what we're talking about when we talk about community. I know my neighbors. When I'm coming outside, I see people run, I see people walk. I'm going to the cafe all the way in Lawndale and I'm seeing other people within the community taking space. And If that's the legacy that I have as a person, I'm grateful. Four times a week they're having consistent programs, so that's getting them to leave outside of their house, aside from just the movement piece, but they need each other. And that's what community is talking about, so we're talking about the transformation. This one lady, Ms. Curl, she's like, I gotta get out that house, I'm coming to walk. She's like, my knee bothered me, but I'm gonna walk today.
Speaker #1
You are concentrated in Garfield Park. On the West Side, would you extend and expand in other communities?
Speaker #2
It's coming. It's coming. We expanding. It'll be the same program, but in other communities.
Speaker #1
What's your background in physical fitness and all that? How did you get involved?
Speaker #2
Division one football player. I did a workout with the Bears. I was at 320. My personal transformation, I lost about 70, 75 pounds. Running was the tool for me. But just seeing the mental clarity and seeing what it brought to me, I wanted to share that feeling with everybody. I did arena league for a while, but I always thought that I was connected with wellness and connected with fitness because of me playing sports.
Speaker #1
I worked out with the Bears once. I didn't know they were Bears, so we were just in the gym. And I didn't know, I didn't really know. It wasn't like the whole team.
Speaker #0
So you done did marathon training, you done worked out with the Bears.
Speaker #1
But wait, they had me lift. right yeah and I lifted a hundred pounds but I didn't know it was a hundred pounds and when they said it was a hundred pounds I said oh my god that's heavy I had it up though You did it.
Speaker #2
If you put it up, you got it.
Speaker #1
I got a few things up my sleeve.
Speaker #2
I want to know what they are.
Speaker #0
No secret. In the next six weeks, we're going to be announcing. a for-profit company that we've founded that's going to be a tech company. So we're actually going to be launching.
Speaker #1
You said you wanted to go into tech. You wanted to do tech. So we got that coming? Oh,
Speaker #0
yeah. Oh, yeah. Tech company is going to, the name of the program is Cosmic Crate. And Cosmic Crate will basically be Dionne's Chicago Dream as a product. It will basically equip small and medium businesses with the ability to connect inventory and people to last mile delivery. So we'll be able to scale this nationwide and worldwide. And I'm really excited.
Speaker #1
We're going to see that before the year's out?
Speaker #2
Oh,
Speaker #0
it's happening. It's happening. So in about three weeks, behind the scenes, all of our operations, delivery, and inventory will be inside the program and the platform. So it's going to be live before the end of the year.
Speaker #1
That's fabulous. And you will extend, I think, hope into other communities systematically?
Speaker #2
Expanding. Yes, ma'am.
Speaker #0
Did you say that you were going to train her for the Chicago Marathon? Trying to hook us. We're running this back. Did that?
Speaker #2
We're running this back.
Speaker #0
Is it happening?
Speaker #2
We only need about 20 more hours.
Speaker #1
I'm going to be trained. I'm not doing it in Chicago.
Speaker #0
Oh, let's go.
Speaker #1
I'm going.
Speaker #2
elsewhere.
Speaker #0
We don't roll into it.
Speaker #1
Where do you want to go? Let's talk.
Speaker #2
Where are you at? You in Paris? We also a charity partner at a New York marathon.
Speaker #1
She want to go abroad.
Speaker #0
Wait, you just did Australia.
Speaker #2
I did Australia.
Speaker #0
What about next year you do Australia?
Speaker #1
How many miles?
Speaker #0
26.
Speaker #1
I got to run 26?
Speaker #2
No,
Speaker #0
you got to finish. So listen to me. It just happened we got a year. We got Hermine Hartman,
Speaker #1
what month is it? When is it?
Speaker #2
It's August. It's August, so we got a year.
Speaker #1
Okay, we can do that.
Speaker #0
Let's go. Hermine Hartman and Indigo Studios partnering with Peace Runners.
Speaker #2
We got to start the run from the studio.
Speaker #0
That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker #1
Challenge me, if you will. Okay. All right, all right.
Speaker #0
That's what I'm talking about.
Speaker #1
So I want to get ladies, you know, we're looking at drugs to take, we're looking at exercise to do, but you gave a real key. one mile.
Speaker #0
One mile a day.
Speaker #1
A day. One mile. And that comes out to 60 miles eventually. Now, I ride my bike. That's it. That's the movement.
Speaker #2
Ain't nothing wrong with that. And that 15 to 20 minutes of cardio. Yeah. That's about that one mile. Like 15 to 20 minutes of cardio. That's what that one mile is equivalent of?
Speaker #0
Yes. 15 to 20 minutes of cardio. Let's go. I'm excited.
Speaker #2
I provide all of us quality of life. That's why I tell people, like, don't look at the 100-pound days. I just need you to move. And that's our motto. I'm going to tell you, Dion also FaceTimed me from the gym all the time. We both got to get out and work out.
Speaker #1
Any quality food.
Speaker #0
Sometimes.
Speaker #1
So how do people If somebody wants to get food or have somebody that needs food or wants food, how do we connect that?
Speaker #0
They reach out. They're going to call us. So we, any way they will find a number, they can find us on our website, www.deonschicagodream.com. They can have all our contact information. We do not have signups on our website. Because we want someone to have that human element. So they'll be able to call us, they'll be placed on the wait list, and then from there, once we secure enough funding to at least deliver to them for a year, it's off to the races.
Speaker #1
You deliver it every year? Are you delivering for a full year once a week?
Speaker #0
No, no, no. We take them off the wait list when we've secured funding for at least a year because what we don't want to do is enroll them and then call them a month later and say, we can't afford that. Not this month. And so, you know, we have some members that we've been delivering to since the beginning. They're going to be delivered to in perpetuity. It's others who have called us and gotten off of our program when they've been in a better position. That's the thing. It's not a one size fits all thing.
Speaker #1
Consistency works.
Speaker #0
With quality.
Speaker #1
Gotta do it.
Speaker #0
Gotta do it.
Speaker #1
Every day. Every day. You said your mother runs every four days a week?
Speaker #2
She runs four days a week. Yep. Yes.
Speaker #1
Okay, so ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker #2
I can't wait till y'all meet. I can't wait till y'all meet. Yeah, we gotta run with her. That's it, we gotta run with her. Yeah, we gonna,
Speaker #0
we gonna. I can't wait. I can't wait.
Speaker #1
Uh-huh. So, I have been challenged today from some dreamers. I got my own damn dreams, okay? And I don't know if running is inclusive in it, but I won't take 60 pounds. I'll take 30, though.
Speaker #2
Just come walk with us.
Speaker #1
Okay, I'm going to come walk with you. Now, you walk, you didn't answer my question. You walk every day or you walk once a week? Oh,
Speaker #0
him? I'll run.
Speaker #1
How do you sign up?
Speaker #2
Yeah, I'll run.
Speaker #0
Oh, yeah, yeah, no, like, how do you sign up to be a part of you all?
Speaker #1
How do you sign up to be part of the program?
Speaker #2
Oh. On the website we have all the programs on there. And I just sign up for it? Yes, we have the 5K, the Council 5K program on there. We have a program where we do 13.1, the 5K trainings, everything's on the website. Or you can just meet us every Saturday at the Gold Dome, 100 North Central Park, 915.
Speaker #1
Is there a fee?
Speaker #2
No, everything free.
Speaker #0
That ain't how we roll. Everything free.
Speaker #2
Everything free. If we give you a yoga class, it's free. If we give you a strength class, it's free.
Speaker #1
You all are socialists. Yeah. Yes. You can say that. I can say you.
Speaker #0
I got socialist tendencies.
Speaker #1
You got socialist tendencies in the capitalistic society. That's it. I am just loving it. So ladies and gentlemen, we have had a great conversation today. We're talking to dreamers. Dreamers who dreamed the dream and made it a reality and transformed lives and communities. Mr. Dawson, Mr. Hoffman, so you got to eat right, you got to run, you got to run, you got to eat. And they're going to take me to Australia. Next August. I'm going. I'm Hermine Hartman with Indigo Studio. I want to thank you for watching.

About N'DIGO STUDIO

Experience Chicago's Most Influential Voices | N'DIGO STUDIO

What you'll discover:

- In-depth interviews with Chicago's most influential voices

- Fresh perspectives on politics, culture, and social justice

- Exclusive conversations with bestselling authors and artists

- Behind-the-scenes insights into Chicago's power players

- Candid discussions about issues affecting Black Chicago and beyond

Join the conversation as Hermene Hartman delivers thought-provoking dialogue that informs, challenges, and inspires.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

About N'DIGO STUDIO

Experience Chicago's Most Influential Voices | N'DIGO STUDIO

What you'll discover:

- In-depth interviews with Chicago's most influential voices

- Fresh perspectives on politics, culture, and social justice

- Exclusive conversations with bestselling authors and artists

- Behind-the-scenes insights into Chicago's power players

- Candid discussions about issues affecting Black Chicago and beyond

Join the conversation as Hermene Hartman delivers thought-provoking dialogue that informs, challenges, and inspires.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

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