More Than Just Food

Addressing food insecurity can’t be about providing only food when folks who are the most vulnerable have chronic diseases at higher rates. Hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes are just some of the chronic diseases that can be prevented and managed through eating a nutrient-rich, balanced diet. But when you’re on a fixed income or don’t have a stable source of food, how do you decide between your health or your next meal?

This year, Common Pantry expanded upon our priority of providing nutritious food by launching our Nutrition Education Program, led by our Registered Dietitian. The program includes cooking classes and demos, recipe cards based on the food we provide, take home nutrition resources, ready-to-eat prepared meals, food sampling and nutrition ranking which all aims to bridge the gap between the food we eat and the benefits it can provide.

Jean, 79, is one of our many guests who has fully participated in our nutrition program since its launch in July.

“I love this cooking class. As old as I am, when they say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, yes you can! Because I learned different things in just three classes.”

Jean has spent her life surrounded by food. Having grown up spending summers on farms, working most of her career in restaurants, and finding joy in cooking her own food, one could say she already knows a lot. But when we offered a class about hypertension she was able to learn about a topic that was close to home.

Jean has heart issues and had open heart surgery nearly 20 years ago. Even though the hospital provided diet and health classes, she never felt like the information applied to her and didn’t know where to turn for help.

Now, Jean knows that when she comes to one of our cooking classes, she’s guaranteed to leave with a new recipe plus information that she trusts and can work with her day-to-day life.

“They’re doing all these recipes, they’re giving a lot of helpful health information that you don’t necessarily see or hear all the time”

Jean has been coming to Common Pantry for almost 10 years, long before our nutrition program started. Having heard about the pantry from a friend, she initially came for groceries and to receive a hot meal. On a fixed income and receiving only a small amount of social security and SNAP benefits, Jean relies on Common Pantry for staples.

The older she gets, the harder it is for her to go grocery shopping and cook for herself. Jean always makes sure to visit our weekly hot lunch, because that’s one less meal that she has to cook.

“When you get older, your whole world gets more limited and this is a big part of my world.”

Beyond getting food, Jean has also found a community here. With volunteers who know her name, familiar faces when she shops, and staff going above and beyond to meet her needs, Jean knows she’s cared for at Common Pantry. 

Jean’s story is not an outlier. Among families who access food pantries in Chicago, one-third have a family member with diabetes and over half have a family member with high blood pressure. It is not enough to provide access to healthy food. We must also provide the resources and opportunities for our guests to learn the science behind food and feel empowered to lead healthy lives.

We can’t do this crucial work without you. 

Give today to help meet our guests where they are and provide the resources they need most.