Out of options & finding support

This year has been challenging for families and individuals. Bills unexpectedly increased, food prices stayed high, and housing costs became unmanageable. More than ever before, people are turning to Common Pantry for the first time and depending on us for services. The underlying reason: they had no other option.

Budgets are being stretched thin to make ends meet, then sometimes the unexpected happens.

Whether it be accessing groceries to stock their fridge and pantry, receiving critical social services to get their life back on track or making an impact on their health goals, Common Pantry has helped thousands of families and individuals so far this year overcome obstacles and find stability.

Here are some of their stories.

“BEYOND JUST FOOD”

Adrianna is a mom of seven, with another on the way, living on the South Side of Chicago. For her current family of nine, Adrianna relies on SNAP to put food on their table and keep her family fed, never needing to go to a food pantry. While she could make due with SNAP, Adrianna and her husband couldn’t keep up with their other bills as the cost of living continued to rise.

Eventually, her electricity was at risk of being turned off and Adrianna had exhausted all her options. She had called many organizations whose missions are to help in these situations but kept getting the run around. Phone call, after phone call without resolve, she decided to reach out to Common Pantry as her last resort.

Adrianna had only visited Common Pantry a few months prior, when she got connected with Abby to get clothes for her kids. After receiving help when she needed it, Adrianna knew she could depend on Common Pantry to help navigate the situation with her.

What many don’t know is that Common Pantry has a fund dedicated to helping families and individuals overcome obstacles to avoid a crisis and setback. For Adrianna and her family, we were able to pay half of her bill, allowing her to get on a payment plan for the remainder of what was owed.

“It really meant a lot because if it weren’t for you guys, my light would’ve been disconnected for I don’t know how long.”

“FUNCTIONALLY BROKE”

Jackie has worked as a TSA agent for 10 years, and for 44 days, she worked without receiving a paycheck due to the government shutdown.

As a Chicago native, living on the North Side, owning her house, and paying off her 2016 car this year, Jackie never imagined herself needing to come to a food pantry. Still going into work, pulling money from her retirement account, adjusting her lifestyle, and spending all her savings, she was out of ideas. She doesn’t qualify for unemployment, and with SNAP benefits being frozen at the time, she couldn’t rely on any social safety nets.

“I should not be here. I work hard. It should only be for the people who really need it. And then I became the person who really needed it. I got to the point where there is no more money.”

Halfway through the government shutdown, without seeing the end in sight, Jackie reached out to get connected to resources at Common Pantry. She was able to visit our pantry on a Tuesday evening, taking advantage of our online ordering system to choose the same high-quality food for her and her family without waiting. Jackie no longer had to worry about where her next meal would come from.

Even as the government shutdown was ending, Jackie expressed that she did not expect to be paid immediately, resulting in 3 missed paychecks and needing to make even more adjustments to get by.

“I’M EATING TO LIVE INSTEAD OF LIVING TO EAT”

Cerise has been visiting Common Pantry for nearly five years for monthly groceries, our weekly hot lunch and more recently the cooking classes as a part of our nutrition education program. She is also 66, a retired teacher, lives on the South Side of Chicago and has been disabled for almost 10 years.

Cerise had been hit by a car on two separate occasions and in recent years was diagnosed with MS. For Cerise, her health and managing her symptoms are her biggest concerns, especially when she knows her diet makes a huge impact on how she feels. Having access to fresh produce and quality food is so important for her, but prior to visiting Common Pantry, Cerise struggled to get everything she needed.

Since retiring, Cerise has depended on food pantries to eat, often needing to go to multiple pantries in order to receive the basics: milk, eggs, fresh produce, a single can of garbanzo beans. Now that Cerise comes to Common Pantry she is able to receive the variety of foods her diet requires in one shop. And with being on a fixed income and until recently, only receiving $12 in SNAP benefits a month, access to nutrient dense, fresh food is life-changing for her.

“I don’t have the money for food. You pay your mortgage, you pay your assessment. I’m on a payment plan for my light bill. If I didn’t have good health insurance, I wouldn’t even be able to buy my prescriptions. But it’s a lifesaver for me to be able to have food and quality food that you can enjoy. If it didn’t exist. I don’t know what I would do.”

Despite the difficulties Adrianna, Jackie and Cerise have gone through, they all know they can depend on Common Pantry for nutrient-dense food and critical resources, provided with dignity.

These stories represent just some of the situations our other guests are facing. Through it all, Common Pantry is here as a resource to provide vital services, helping our neighbors find stability, overcome obstacles, and feel in control of their lives.

We can’t do this crucial work without you.

Give today to support our programs so our neighbors have what they need when the unexpected happens.