Ending hunger starts with community.
Partners are neighbors, first.
Our food pantry has a Priority Service Area that includes 15 villages in Cook County. Much like our nation, those 15 villages are connected by commerce and community, by neighborhoods and neighbors. Most especially, they are connected by business leaders and civic leaders who understand the importance of these connections.
Ours is a region of wide-ranging income disparity and related food insecurity.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 7,000 of our neighbors live below the poverty line. Roughly twice as many more live in low-income households. The majority who are experiencing food insecurity live in 7 of the 15 villages within our priority service area. But throughout every one of our communities, too many of our neighbors are experiencing food insecurity.
What does this say about the challenge our collective communities face?