>> MANY HOMES ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE ENDS MEET.

ESPECIALLY THE RISE IN FEDERAL PANDEMIC ASSISTANCE.

THEY ARE LOOKING AT FOOD PANTRIES AND DISTRIBUTORS.

FOOD SECURITY ACROSS THE CITY IS SPIKING.

HERE IS ONE OF THEM.

THEY PICKED UP GROCERIES FOR A NURSING HOME.

>> I CAN DO THAT WITH MY OTHER BILLS.

FOOD IS EXPENSIVE.

PEOPLE ARE LIVING WITH ME THAT ARE NOT EMPLOYED.

I DO WHAT I HAVE TO DO.

>> JOINING US NOW WITH MORE, IS A CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER WITH NOURISHING HOPE HURRIED EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS AT WESTSIDE UNITED, IS THE FOUNDER OF A CHICAGO DREAM.

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR JOINING US.

I WANT TO START WITH THE TWO OF YOU.

YOU WILL WORK IN FOOD DISTRIBUTION.

WHAT DOES THE CURRENT NEED LOOK LIKE?

IS IT SUPER SMOOTH?

>> YES.

FOR NOURISHING HOPE, WE ARE SEEING AN IMMENSE NEED ACROSS ALL 75 NEIGHBORHOODS ON THE SOUTHSIDE OF CHICAGO.

OUR ORGANIZATION PROVIDES AN EQUIVALENT OF 4 MILLION A YEAR.

FOR US, WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE OF THIS YEAR ALONE, JUST 30% OF INDIVIDUALS.

MORE FAMILIES ARE COMING TO THE FOOD PANTRY.

WE ARE ALSO SEEING ABOUT 76% MORE FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN COMING TO THE FOOD PANTRY MORE THAN LAST YEAR.

THE RATE OF CHILD POVERTY, HAS INCREASED.

SOME OF THESE FACTS ARE SHOWING THAT.

OUR DATA SHOWS US.

ALSO, WE ARE AWARE THAT FAMILIES ARE UNIQUELY EXPERIENCING FOOD INSECURITY.

>> THIS IS STAGGERING.

WE ARE LOOKING TO DO THIS WITH OUR PROGRAM AGAIN.

WE ARE ABLE TO SEE THAT IN OUR LAST MONTH DELIVERY.

FIRSTHAND, WE KNOW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

IN MAY, WE ARE CLEARING THE WAITLIST FOR THE DELIVERY PROGRAM.

SINCE THEN, NOT ONLY HAS THAT NUMBER GOTTEN BACK TO WHAT IT WAS BEFORE WE CLEARED IT, BUT IT WAS DOUBLY INTERESTING.

WE HAVE SEEN THAT WITHOUT ANY KIND OF PROCESS ONLINE.

WE KNOW THOSE WHO LACK THAT SYSTEM, ARE TRYING TO LIFT IT OUT.

WE HAVE SEEN 1000 HOUSEHOLDS SIGN UP IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS ALONE.

JUST SHOWING THIS FROM THE WORD OF MOUTH.

>> YOU ARE SAYING YOU CLEARED YOUR WAITLIST?

THE NEW WAITLIST IS TWICE THAT SIZE?

>> YES.

AND, 30% LESS TAXING.

>> WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE IS CONTRIBUTING TO THIS?

>> I WILL DEFINITELY SAY INFLATION.

WE ARE ALSO EXPERIENCING THE CUTS.

WE HAVE THE ELIMINATION OF FEDERAL INVESTMENTS.

SNAP BENEFITS, CHILD CREDITS, ALL OF THE HOUSING EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS THAT WERE ALL EXPENDING THROUGH THE RESCUE ACT.

WE ALSO ARE EXPERIENCING MORE MIGRANTS IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.

THIS IS IN PARTICULAR IN CHICAGO.

THAT IS ATTRIBUTING TO THE INCREASE FOR US.

I WILL SAY FOR CERTAIN, OUR FEDERAL INVESTMENT, IS DEEPLY IMPACTING FAMILIES ACROSS THE BOARD.

WHEN YOU TAKE AWAY THOSE INVESTMENTS, IT JUST REALLY DEVASTATES OUR COMMUNITY IN PARTICULAR.

>> YOUR TEAM HAS STUDIED THE IMPACT INSECURITY ON HEALTH AND WELLNESS.

TELL US ABOUT THAT.

>> FOOD IS A CONTRIBUTOR TO DECREASING THE LIFE EXPECTANCY GAP.

WE LOOK AT IT IN OUR WORK BETWEEN 10 WESTSIDE COMMUNITIES DOWNTOWN.

OUR MEASURES ARE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD ENVIRONMENT.

WE HAVE DIFFERENT FOOD ACCESS.

THIS IS A KEY AFFORDABILITY FACTOR.

WE NEED ACCESS AND CONSUMPTION TO HEALTHY FOOD.

THIS IS CRITICAL.

OVER TIME, OUR WORK HAS LOOKED AT THE FOOD PANTRY NETWORK.

THIS IS ACROSS THE HOSPITAL PARTNERS.

MOST RECENTLY, WE HAVE BEEN ON THE GROUND, WORKING IN GARFIELD PARK.

ORGANIZERS ARE IN THAT COMMUNITY COUNCIL.

THEY ARE LOOKING AT THE WELLNESS COLLABORATIVE.

THEY ARE ESTABLISHING A HEALTHY FOOD RETAIL OPTION.

THIS IS DRIVEN BY COMMUNITY INPUT.

WE ARE WORKING ALONGSIDE CORPORATE PARTNERS.

THAT WAS IN RESPONSE TO ALL OF THESE CLOSINGS OVERNIGHT, ALMOST THREE YEARS AGO.

THIS IS A COMMUNITY THAT HAS A LOWER LIFE EXPECTANCY.

THAT GROCERY STORE HAD SENIOR CENTERS IN ITS PROXIMITY.

ABOUT FOUR, TO BE EXACT.

THAT CLOSURE REALLY LIT A FIRE.

IT CAUSED GOLFER OAK PARK TO NOT JUST BE A PROTEST SITE FOR THESE RIGHTS, BUT OTHER LOOKING METHODS.

WE HAD PUT FOOD SECURITY, ASSUMPTION, LACK OF RETAIL OPPORTUNITIES, AND AS A CONVENIENT FACTOR, WE HAVE BEEN ON THE GROUND TO SUPPORT THOSE GREEN INITIATIVES THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE THAT A VIABLE OPTION.

>> YOU ARE STUDYING THE WEB BASED COMMUNITIES.

WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT THE DISPARITY BETWEEN LARGELY BLACK COMMUNITIES, AND WHETHER OTHER THINGS ARE GOOD OR NOT?

>> WE ARE COMING OUT OF PARTNERS LIKE McKINSEY AND COMPANY.

THEY DID A FOOD RETAIL ANALYSIS ON THE WESTSIDE.

THAT BASICALLY SHOWS WHAT WE KNOW WITH OTHER FACTORS, THAT THEY HAVE OTHER COMMUNITIES.

THEY HAVE HOUSING STOCKS, EDUCATION STOCKS, AND WE ARE COMING FROM DOWNTOWN, TO THE WESTSIDE.

IT WOULD BE A CHANGE IN THE OPTIONS OF THE GROUP, AND THE OPTIONS OF THE SCHOOL.

THE RESEARCH JUST PULLS OUT FOR US, THE FRENCH PRODUCE A CROSS WESTSIDE.

THIS IS NEAR BLACK COMMUNITIES.

THIS INCLUDES EAST AND WEST GARFIELD.

WE DON'T HAVE OPTIONS TO PREPARE LIKE OTHER COMMUNITIES.

FOR US, THAT ALLOWED US THE POSITION TO ORGANIZE HOW WE ARE GOING TO GO TO THE GROUND.

WE ARE TRYING TO LAYER THAT WITH RESOURCES FROM THE HOSPITAL, AND OTHER PARTNERS.

>> WE ARE THINKING YOU.

IN 2020 ONE, YOU WERE DOING A FOOD FRIDGE OUTDOOR.

YOU HAVE ALSO LAUNCHED THIS DREAM.

PAUL PARKED ACTION.

>> WE ARE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH BIG-BOX PARTNERS.

WE PUT THE LOCKER INSIDE THAT BUSINESS.

WE ARE IN A WORLD OF 275 HOUSEHOLDS.

WE WANT TO DO, IS WE WANT TO HAVE ACCESS.

WE WENT TO LOOK AT A RETAIL LEAK WHICH HURRIED I WANT TO FIGURE OUT WAYS THAT I CAN LOOK AT HUMAN BEHAVIOR, AND CHANGE THAT ACTIVITY TO GET THOSE PEOPLE INSIDE.

WITH THE FIRST ONE WANTING INSIDE THAT YELLOW BANANA, EVEN INCLUDING INGLEWOOD, LET'S DO IT.

YOU ARE HERE TO RUN A SECURITY MISSION.

NOW, WE HAVE THAT VAULT RIGHT THERE.

THIS IS A HOUSEHOLD WITH THEIR ROLE.

WE ARE LOOKING AT PRODUCE.

THEY ARE GETTING THEIR CODE.

THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THAT ONE ALL DAY.

THEY KNOW THAT SOMETHING ELSE CAN HELP THEIR WILL.

THEY KNOW HOW MANY THINGS THERE HOUSEHOLD NEEDS.

>> THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CONTROVERSIES AMONG THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS RIGHT THERE.

WE ALSO KNOW THAT MAYOR JOHNSON'S TEAM HAS LAUNCHED THE POSSIBILITY OF A MUNICIPALLY OWNED GROCERY STORE.

DO YOU THINK THAT COULD WORK?

>> ACCORDING TO MENTIONING INGLEWOOD PARTNERS, LIKE BUTLER AND RAGE, THE IDEA IS THAT IF COMMUNITY COMES, THEY ARE IN THE DRIVERS SEAT ABOUT HOW TO OPERATIONALIZE THAT.

THEY ARE MAKING IT A VIABLE OPTION FOR RESIDENTS.

WE ARE THINKING ABOUT THE SITES.

THIS IS AT GARFIELD PARK AT MADISON AND HAMLIN.

DUE TO PROTEST FROM THE ORGANIZATIONS, THE CITY ACQUIRE THAT LOT.

THEY CREATED A PROCESS THAT INCLUDES A GROSS OPTIONS.

THEY ARE WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES HAND ON HIM.

>> I THINK ANY ACCESS TO FOOD HELPS OUR NEIGHBORS ACROSS THE CITY.

WE ARE NOT OPPOSED TO THAT.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE MINISTRATION TO THINK ABOUT SCALE.

WE ARE THINKING ABOUT POLICY CHANGES.

WE KNOW HOW WE CAN INCREASE THESE BENEFITS.

THIS IS WITHOUT ADDITIONAL WORK CONDITIONS.

THIS IS AROUND IT.

WHAT CAN WE DO IN ORDER TO DEAL WITH THIS SYSTEMIC RACISM?

WE KNOW BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES ARE DOING WITH FOOD INSECURITY.

THIS IS THREE TIMES AS MUCH AS THE WHITE COUNTERPARTS.

WE ARE ALREADY SEEING THAT WITHIN THESE COMMUNITIES.

I WOULD ENCOURAGE