Hunger Action Month: Local Food Banks and Depositories Combat Rising Grocery Costs and Food Insecurity

September marks Hunger Action Month, and recent findings from the Greater Chicagoland Hunger Report reveal that one-quarter of Chicagoans are currently grappling with food insecurity.

Furthermore, 36% of families in the area find it challenging to meet basic living expenses. Last year, organizations such as the Greater Chicago Food Depository, the Northern Illinois Food Bank, and the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana collectively aided 4.5 million households throughout 16 counties.

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Julie Yurko is the president and CEO of the Northern Illinois Food Bank.

Yurko highlighted the mission of these food banks as helping people to flourish by supplying nutritious groceries and meals. This support allows individuals to fulfill their life purposes by ensuring access to the necessary nutrients. Food insecurity often aligns with financial hardships, where people struggle to make their money stretch. As a result, they can turn to resources like food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and food bank programs for fresh, nourishing groceries.

According to the Hunger Report, groceries prices rose 20% between June 2020 and June 2025. Rent has increased 27% during that same time period.

Yurko says those factors are leading people to seek food assistance.

Victor Garcia is the president and CEO of the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana.

Garcia noted that the demand for assistance remains as high as it was during the pandemic, maintaining the same level of programming and service.

According to the report, there has been a 48% increase in households utilizing local food pantries and free grocery services when comparing data from fiscal year 2025 to fiscal year 2020.

And new challenges could be ahead.

Kate Maehr is the executive director and CEO of the Greater Chicago Food Depository. She says food pantries across the country are at record levels of service.

“There are two things coming that we are all worried about,” Maehr said. “One is the continued rise in inflation. And I think there are a lot of economists right now who are worried and watching very closely. And in particular, food inflation. And that continues to be a concern for families that go to a grocery store and all of a sudden have to pay $5 more, $10 more. That’s often the thing that tips you into needing a food pantry. But the second thing, which is staggering, is the bill that was passed and signed into law in July has a significant impact on the most important anti-hunger program that we have in this country and that is SNAP. Sometimes we call SNAP, food stamps. But that is this amazing safety net program that exists in every state, in every community, that makes it possible for people to get dollars to buy groceries, that has been cut.”

Those changes could impact up to 400,000 families in Illinois could be impacted.

For more information, to donate or to seek assistance:

https://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/

https://solvehungertoday.org/ (Northern Illinois Food Bank)

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