Food Pantries See Increase in Demand Due to Inflation


As food prices continue to soar due to record inflation the need for food remains high in the Chicago area.

“There was a hunger crisis in Chicago before the pandemic, particularly in Black and Latino communities on the South and West sides” said Kate Maehr, executive director of the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

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And it’s not just families who are affected by inflation. Organizations like the Food Depository are also feeling the pinch. Maehr says they anticipate the need for food assistance to increase in 2023 if prices for key goods don’t come down.

The Food Depository expects to spend nearly $35 million on food purchases alone in 2022 due to an increase in families facing food insecurity, an increase of 55%. The crisis is exacerbated by supply chain issues that have been plaguing the country since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The Depository has been able to keep up the demand thanks to their donors but is calling on congress to fund and reauthorize food assistance programs, particularly for low-income families.


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