Food Deserts in Chicago: How You Can Fight Hunger

Hunger is an issue that plagues many low-income people throughout Chicago.  Without an appropriate amount and variety of food, we lack the essential nutrients needed to stay healthy.  But what if you were unable to buy fresh fruits and vegetables?  What happens when it is just too hard to get these fresh, nutritious foods?

A food desert is an area with little or no access to full-service grocery stores that sell the food needed to maintain a healthy, balanced diet.  In these food deserts, most people have to travel twice as far to get to a full-service grocery store as they have to travel to get to a fast food restaurant or convenience store.  Without their own method of transportation, most people will shop at the food source closest to their home, despite their preferences or dietary restrictions.  It is estimated that over 600,000 Chicagoans live in areas with an imbalance of food choices.^[1]

In 2006, the Mari Gallagher Research & Consulting Group submitted a report on the impact of Food Deserts on Chicago neighborhoods and found that in the western area of Chicago alone, seven neighborhoods were food deserts.  Fast food restaurants and convenience stores are often a much closer alternative in these areas, and this can affect the overall health and wellness of a community.   Their research has shown that the imbalance of access to healthy foods can also lead to higher rates of obesity and hypertension and also increases the likelihood of premature death from diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular complications.  The prevalence of these chronic disorders can have a huge impact on a community – it directly affects the quality, productivity, and length of life and can also indirectly affect health care costs, school test scores, and the area’s economic strength. ^[2]

To address this, Chicago Cares currently runs hunger programming with three different organizations in West Garfield Park, East Garfield Park, and West Town – all of which are neighborhoods identified as food deserts.  One of these programs is a healthy cooking class with residents at Open Door Shelter, a temporary shelter for young adults who may have been exposed to difficult life circumstances.  Chicago Cares volunteers focus on teaching these young adults to use healthy alternatives while cooking meals they would want to eat.

In the future, Chicago Cares hopes to further tackle hunger by expanding programs in the critical neighborhoods highlighted in the western and southern areas of Chicago.  For more information about volunteering at hunger programs on the west side of Chicago, please contact Joyce Cruz at jcruz@chicagocares.org or 312-780-0800 ext. 141.  

---

^[1] http://marigallagher.com/site_media/dynamic/project_files/ChicagoFoodDesProg2009a.pdf

^[2] http://marigallagher.com/site_media/dynamic/project_files/2_Chi-ForwExecSumOnly.pdf

Taking Action Against Hunger: Seniors' Needs

Each year, America’s senior population grows, and with baby boomers hitting their “golden years” there’s little need to explain why this phenomenon is happening.  The older American population is expected to grow 147% between 2000 and 2050.  In Illinois we are estimated to have 12,901,563 seniors according to 2008 administration on aging data[1].  However, with this jump in population there is also a risk that the level of poverty among seniors will grow as well.

A study by Feeding America done in February 2010 took a look at food insecurity in America.  They found that “30 percent of client households with seniors indicated that they have had to choose between food and medical care and 35 percent had to choose between food and paying for heat/utilities.”  They also found that 3.6 million older Americans live below the poverty level and 1.3 million were deemed food insecure[2]. 

 

These stats really hit home when you think about the low income seniors living right here in Chicago.  In the Oakland community the average income is $13,243 per year[3].  There is a significant amount of seniors who live in this community which means the need here is a lot greater than in some other areas of the city.  This level of poverty means the seniors in this community may not be receiving the nutrition they need.  A 2002 study of elderly women who lived below the poverty line showed that rising food costs, transportation, and shopping difficulties all inhibited them from getting the proper nutrition that they needed.[4]
 

With that in mind, Chicago Cares has created a Senior Diner’s Club at the Lake Parc Place Apts building in the Oakland community.  Lake Parc Place Apts is a family Chicago Housing Authority building.  This mixed income building houses low income seniors who are primarily living off their modest social security and pension checks for income.  Senior Diner’s Club was created in conjunction with the building to ensure that these seniors receive a healthy and hearty dinner once a month.  This program encourages socialization among the senior residents and provides them with the proper nutrition.

The Senior Diner’s Club at Lake Parc Place Apts takes place on the second Thursday of every month from 6:15 to 8pm.  If you’re interested in volunteering or leading this project and making an impact within the senior community please contact Rosie Drumgoole at rdrumgoole@chicagocares.org.

---

[1] http://www.aoa.gov/AoARoot/Aging_Statistics/Census_Population/Population/2008/index.aspx

[2] http://feedingamerica.org/faces-of-hunger/hunger-101/senior-hunger.aspx

[3] http://www.city-data.com/neighborhood/Oakland-Chicago-IL.html

[4] http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0887/is_9_21/ai_92519604/?tag=content;col1

Fighting Hunger from the Ground up: Ginkgo Organic Gardens and Vital Bridges

"It was 17 years ago this summer a group of volunteer growers and environmentalists approached us with a bold and exciting opportunity – organic produce for people living with AIDS,” recounts Lori Cannon, Co-Founder of Vital Bridges, an organization with a mission to help people impacted by HIV and AIDS to improve their health. “Knowing full well the challenge of being immune compromised, these terrific volunteers devised a program to grow nutritious and healthy fruits and vegetables for distribution to our clients all summer long.”

These volunteers were the founding members of Uptown’s Ginkgo Organic Gardens, whose goal was to turn the surplus produce of urban gardens into donations for local non-profits that otherwise couldn’t afford organic foods. Twice per week during the spring and summer, volunteers come together to plant, maintain, and harvest the nearly 1,500 pounds of fresh fruits, herbs, and vegetables that are donated annually to Vital Bridges – they even deliver the produce themselves using bicycle trailers.

When Lori calls being immune-compromised a “challenge,” she’s being modest: the dietary needs of a person living with HIV/AIDS are incredibly complex. The AIDS virus attacks T Helper cells, a type of white blood cell that provides direction to our B cells (those that actually produce antibodies and antigens). Numerous studies have shown a direct link between increased consumption of vitamins A, C, and E (“ACE”) and T Helper cell health and quantity; thus, harvesting ACE-packed produce for three hours at Ginkgo is like harvesting three more potential hours of good health for Vital Bridges’ clients.

Today, Vital Bridges is able to serve over 2,000 clients annually and the produce they receive from Ginkgo is a major factor in this outreach. “The families, clients, and care givers all delight in the magnificent selection and the gracious growers and volunteers: the passion and excitement grow with every harvest,” Cannon Says. “We consider ourselves so fortunate to be partners with this unique and important program –it’s proven to be one of the many life-lines needed to combat this dreaded disease.

Chicago Cares currently runs three programs with Vital Bridges year-round: Grocery Land South on the South side, Shopping on Lake on the West side, and Shopping on Broadway on the North side. Volunteers help in the pantry by “shopping” for and packaging the items clients select from the list of available goods. We bring volunteers to work in the gardens at Ginkgo on Saturday mornings April - October.

For more information about Vital Bridges visit www.vitalbridges.org. Information about Ginkgo Organic Gardens can be found at www.ginkgogardens.org or you can check out their blog at http://ginkgogardens.blogspot.com/. To volunteer with Chicago Cares at either location, please go to www.chicagocares.org/calendar and contact the Team Coordinator for your desired project date.