Introduction to Doughnate
WEST LOOP — Growing up in a pizzeria-owning family on the South Side, Angelo Corso assumed he’d follow in the footsteps of his parents and his Italian grandmother. But when Corso was one year into culinary school, his dad urged him not to join the family business, Angie’s Restaurant and Pizzeria in Ashburn, and instead look elsewhere for his livelihood.
Family Influence and Career Choice
“My father didn’t want me stuck in the restaurant industry like him and his brother with the long hours and hard work,” Corso said. “He wanted something different for me.” Corso went on to pursue a career in technology, founding Core 1 Technologies and Wired Authority, the latter one of the largest business internet ZIP code search providers and internet/telecommunication auditors in the United States.
The Birth of Doughnate
But pizza remained “near and dear” to Corso, as did serving the community in the same way as his Irish grandmother, a longtime volunteer in homeless shelters. That planted the seed for him to start Doughnate Pizza, a West Loop-based nonprofit that partners with local restaurants to provide pizza and salad fixings to homeless shelters and people in need. “I wanted to create a 100 percent volunteer-based organization where every single donor’s dollar goes directly to pizza and feeding individuals here in Chicago,” said Corso, now a Lincoln Park resident.
Getting The Word Out
Corso’s first attempt at donating pizza wasn’t without obstacles. Armed with a $100 donation, Corso bought pizzas from Giordano’s and walked up and down South Michigan Avenue offering free slices to people on the street. Not all of those he approached took him up on his offer. Not wanting to waste the pizzas, Corso headed to Lincoln Park Community Services shelter in his neighborhood, where the pies were welcomed. Since then, the shelter has been on the receiving end of many more.
Doughnate volunteers help serve free pizza at homeless shelters around the city. Credit: Provided
Doughnate provides a few opportunities for donations. One is via leftover pizzas from restaurants. Doughnate volunteers, who often include Corso and his business partner, Brian Rock, pick up the pizzas and drop them off at shelters they’ve worked with, which include Deborah’s Place, The Night Ministry and Howard Brown Health.
Delivering After Disasters
Corso likes mixing up the styles of pizza donated to shelters. Doughnate donations also include salad ingredients. “I want to give [shelter residents] the opportunity to try what we try on a regular basis, whether that’s Sicilian, tavern or toppings like whipped ricotta or hot honey,” he said. “They are entitled to the lifestyle that others have and the joy that comes from these things.”
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