Chicago's food pantries are reeling under unprecedented strain, a crunch further tightened by new demands from an influx of migrants. According to a report from the Chicago Tribune, non-profit food distributors have seen such a surge in visits that they're forced to ration supplies, limit the number of visits per household, and, in some cases, turn people away.
Waiting for three hours at the Sheridan Market food pantry, new arrivals like Vicenta Buitrago exemplify the new pressures placed on a system already stretched thin by soaring food prices and the expiration of pandemic-era relief measures. Having left Colombia and used to run an auto repair shop, Buitrago now is rationing food with her son as they await work permits. She told the Chicago Tribune, "We're starting over. I don’t even know how to say 'I’m hungry' (in English)."
Organizations such as the Greater Chicago Food Depository are working overtime trying to mitigate these crises. The network served 186,000 households in December, marking a 29% increase from the previous year. Food depository spokesperson Man-Yee Lee stated, “We work harder to try and get more food from the federal government. Our fundraising team is working overtime, contacting our supporters.” Meanwhile, a WGN-TV report highlights that the Depository isn't just handling existing demands but is also providing over 20,000 meals a day to migrants sheltered in the city.
As the city continues to race to complete new migrant intake facilities, the issue of hunger among both migrants and long-term residents remains urgent. Despite these efforts, some migrants have described shelter food as "substandard and limited," while others have faced the grim reality of being pushed out of overcrowded pantries onto Chicago's streets. The burgeoning crisis comes at a time when the State of Illinois steps in to cover a chunk of the financial needs, according to WGN-TV, pitching in with a $4 million food services contract through December.
Adding to the societal strain, inter-community tensions are rising alongside pantry shelves running bare. Pastor Sandra Gillespie of the Chosen Bethel Family Ministries Food Pantry in Englewood told the Chicago Tribune, "We're running out of food." And as demand forces a cutback in the food once offered, resentment brews among longtime recipients who now feel crowded out by the newcomers.
The need for more federal funding and increased food pantry resources has never been clearer, as outlined by the Chicago Tribune in their discussions with food pantry directors. But even the thought of obtaining more food faces practical issues related to storage and personnel, leaving organizations like Above and Beyond Free Food Pantry in West Garfield Park's executive director Ken Cozzi to say, "We’ve never run out, but I really wish we had more."
