The Cook County Board of Commissioners honored Dion Chicago Dreams on Sept. 1 during Social Food Justice Month for its work expanding access to fresh food and creating living‑wage jobs.

Commissioner Michael Scott presented the recognition, noting the organization’s “Beyond deliveries” meal program and a produce‑locker initiative called Dreams Vault. Scott said the group has delivered 5,100,000 pounds of fresh produce across Cook County and created living‑wage jobs for drivers, packers and operations staff.

Dion Dawson, founder and chief dreamer of Dion Chicago Dreams, addressed the board and thanked county leaders for support. “We’re delivering right now to more than 81% of ZIP codes in Cook County,” Dawson said. He credited Cook County and board leadership for enabling program growth during and after the COVID‑19 period.

Discussion vs. decision: the presentation was honorary and included a photo opportunity; the transcript records no funding or programmatic commitments from the county tied to the recognition. The item was incorporated into the meeting’s consent business and approved with the consent vote.

Why it matters: county officials highlighted local nonprofit capacity to address food insecurity, noting both large produce distribution totals and job creation in Cook County neighborhoods. The recognition also spotlighted partnerships formed during the COVID emergency relief period that county staff and community leaders said helped small businesses and nonprofit service providers.