Choose to Eat or to Pay Rent? -- Perfect Storm Hits City's Food Charities
Relying weekly on one’s local food pantry for groceries, personal items and more can already be a stressful existence. But now, a myriad of factors are contributing to additional pressure being felt from all sides of the city, as unprecedented demand has led to stretched resources and frayed patience. For example, Nourishing Hope (formerly known as Lakeview Pantry) saw an increase of over 20k first-time clients last year alone, and inflation, an unexpected population increase and a reduction to federal stimulus packages post-lockdown may push that number even higher moving forward. This week, Chicago Tribune reporter Kate Armanini and Nourishing Hope CEO Kellie O'Connell join host/producer Jim Hanke to unpack this growing issue, and how pantries are trying to go beyond food, to feed the soul.
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