Study: 1 In 6 Chicago Households Can’t Afford Both Bills And Food

As food insecurity rises in Chicago amid the pandemic, local food banks and grassroot initiatives are stepping in to help those in need.

photo of bags of fresh food
In this Tuesday, May 12, 2020, photo, bags of fresh food wait to be given away at an event sponsored by the Greater Chicago Food Depository in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood of Chicago. Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press
photo of bags of fresh food
In this Tuesday, May 12, 2020, photo, bags of fresh food wait to be given away at an event sponsored by the Greater Chicago Food Depository in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood of Chicago. Charles Rex Arbogast / Associated Press

Study: 1 In 6 Chicago Households Can’t Afford Both Bills And Food

As food insecurity rises in Chicago amid the pandemic, local food banks and grassroot initiatives are stepping in to help those in need.

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One in six households in Chicago report serious problems simply affording food, according to a recent study by NPR, Harvard and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation on how the pandemic has financially impacted four major U.S. cities.

And even more of those households say they’re skipping or delaying paying their bills just to ensure everyone in their family has enough to eat.

Reset checks in with local food pantries about the uptick in food insecurity. We’ll also hear from Chicagoans who say being able to afford food is getting increasingly difficult.

GUESTS: April Harris, grassroots organizer with the Chicago Coalition for the Homeless

Nicole Robinson, vice president of community impact at the Greater Chicago Food Depository

Velma Smith, organizer for The Love Fridge