CHICAGO (WLS) — September is Hunger Action Month. According to the newly released Greater Chicagoland Hunger Report, 25% of people in the Chicago area are facing food insecurity.

And 36% of households cannot afford the basic cost of living in their county. The Greater Chicago Food Depository, the Northern Illinois Food Bank and the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana supported 4.5 million households across 16 counties last year.

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Julie Yurko is the president and CEO of the Northern Illinois Food Bank.

“Our whole purpose is to help people thrive. And how we do that is we provide the nutrition, nutritious groceries and food, meals so that their bodies can have what they need so they can go out and do their purpose. So our food banks, every day, are helping people that are struggling right now. Typically, food insecurity is about financial insecurity. They are stretching to make their dollars meet So they can come to a food pantry, a soup kitchen, a shelter, a food bank program and get the fresh, nutritious groceries they need,” Yurko said.

According to the Hunger Report, groceries prices rose 20% between June 2020 and June 2025. Rent has increased 27% during that same time period.

Yurko says those factors are leading people to seek food assistance.

Victor Garcia is the president and CEO of the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana.

“We are still at our same elevated levels of programming and serving the same amount of people that we were serving during the pandemic,” Garcia said.

The Greater Chicagoland Hunger report found that 48% more households are visiting local food pantries and free grocery programs when comparing fiscal year 2025 to fiscal year 2020.

And new challenges could be ahead.

Kate Maehr is the executive director and CEO of the Greater Chicago Food Depository. She says food pantries across the country are at record levels of service.

“There are two things coming that we are all worried about,” Maehr said. “One is the continued rise in inflation. And I think there are a lot of economists right now who are worried and watching very closely. And in particular, food inflation. And that continues to be a concern for families that go to a grocery store and all of a sudden have to pay $5 more, $10 more. That’s often the thing that tips you into needing a food pantry. But the second thing, which is staggering, is the bill that was passed and signed into law in July has a significant impact on the most important anti-hunger program that we have in this country and that is SNAP. Sometimes we call SNAP, food stamps. But that is this amazing safety net program that exists in every state, in every community, that makes it possible for people to get dollars to buy groceries, that has been cut.”

Those changes could impact up to 400,000 families in Illinois could be impacted.

For more information, to donate or to seek assistance:

https://www.chicagosfoodbank.org/

https://solvehungertoday.org/ (Northern Illinois Food Bank)

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