Beyond Hunger: Coming Together to Keep Food on the Table

Jun 29

No one expected 2020 to go like this. COVID-19 prompted widespread “stay at home” orders and global economic collapse, which left many people grieving the loss of enjoyable routines like working out with friends, sending the kids off to school, hosting happy hour or even taking summer vacation.

For millions of families, however, the pandemic disrupted much more than how they spent their leisure time: it also impacted income, housing and even mealtime.

As of late April 2020, 1 in 5 American households was food insecure – nearly double the estimated 1 in 9 from before coronavirus. Among mothers with young children, more than 2 in 5 households are battling food insecurity during this pandemic [FN 1-2].

As a result, more people than ever are turning to government assistance programs, food pantries and local charities to help put food on the table.

Beyond Hunger, formerly known as the Oak Park River Forest (OPRF) Food Pantry, is one such organization. They serve thirteen zip codes just west of Chicago and offer a range of services, including a food pantry, home delivery, health education, social services and food rescue. Last year alone they helped more than 13,000 individuals, 97% of which lived in low- or very low-income households.

How It Started

OPRF Food Pantry opened in 1978 and distributed groceries from a church basement for more than thirty years before incorporating as a nonprofit (in 2010) and re-branding themselves as Beyond Hunger in 2019. Now they do much more than give out food.

Teri Miller, Director of Development at Beyond Hunger, explains:

“Beyond Hunger’s mission is harnessing the power of communities to end hunger. We provide direct hunger relief through a variety of programs – including a food pantry, home delivery and kids summer meals – while focusing on health and nutrition education, working towards sustainable food solutions, and connecting individuals & families with incomes supports (like SNAP and referrals to social- and health-related services) to build long-term food security… We believe hunger is solvable and the solution includes us all.”

The Food Pantry

Beyond Hunger’s food pantry provides a lifeline to neighbors who need quick, local nutrition assistance. They provide a variety of healthy, balanced foods for free thanks to ongoing partnerships with produce wholesalers, food rescue partners, the USDA, community groups, companies and donations from individuals. Beyond Hunger also makes some subsidized purchases from the Greater Chicago Food Depository (the regional food bank) to improve offerings.

There’s no lengthy process or pile of paperwork to receive food, but potential shoppers do need a photo ID and proof that they live in Beyond Hunger’s service area.

Each qualified household can visit the pantry once a month, either Wednesdays from 3:30-5:00 pm or Saturdays between 9:00 am and 12:00 pm [FN3].

Staying Safe During a Pandemic

Beyond Hunger is open during COVID-19 and committed to keeping clients safe, while also providing the food and assistance they need to make it through the pandemic.

Pre-COVID, the pantry offered a grocery-store experience for customers. However, due to safety concerns with the current pandemic, they’ve now updated how clients are served. “We’ve been able to modify our food distributions in order to ensure safe social distancing among our clients & volunteers and have implemented a drive thru model where clients, if driving, can remain in their cars while groceries are loaded into their trunks,” reports Ms. Miller. “Walk up clients are served one at time respecting six feet spacing. In addition, all staff and volunteers are required to wear masks and gloves when on site.”

Additional Programs

In addition to the original food pantry, Beyond Hunger now also facilitates several programs that help fight hunger long-term. In Ms. Miller’s words, the organization’s “programming has grown well beyond the basement where our food pantry is located and into the community where hunger lives.”

Additional services currently provided by Beyond Hunger include:

Home Delivery

For older adults or disabled neighbors, Beyond Hunger offers food pantry deliveries in the Oak Park area. A proxy (family member, friend or neighbor) can also pick-up food for housebound beneficiaries.

Summer & After School Programs for Kids

Families with young children are more likely to be food insecure. Beyond Hunger helps fight childhood hunger by providing snacks for local extracurricular programs.

The pantry partners with the Summer Food Service Program to feed kids over summer break, especially those whose families rely on school meals for nutrition during the academic year. Normally, Beyond Hunger hosts Meet Up & Eat Up to provide summertime food and activities for children and teens in the Oak Park area. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, they will not be hosting this program in 2020.

Free snacks are also available at local tutoring programs – including Cluster Tutoring & the Power of Partnerships (POP) Summer Program – so that struggling kids can hone their reading skills, practice math and fill their stomachs all in one place [FN4].

Benefits Assistance

Beyond Hunger, like many other hunger relief organizations, also helps people understand, apply to and use government assistance programs. These services are available to anyone, even if they don’t live in the pantry’s service area.

The social services coordinator at Beyond Hunger assists with applications for SNAP, Medicaid/Medicare, TANF and RTA passes [FN5]. To learn what documents you’ll need for you appointment (and application), please click here.

Education

Staying healthy involves a combination of resources and knowledge. In addition to the healthy foods provided by the pantry, Beyond Hunger also educates patrons about nutrition, cooking and overall health. The on-staff dietitians and volunteers work together to host cooking classes, develop recipes, lead grocery store tours, distribute healthy eating handouts, and – in partnership with Rush Oak Park Hospital – check community members’ blood pressure [FN6].

Food Rescue

Last but not least, Beyond Hunger does its part to reduce food waste through the Surplus Project.

Staff and volunteers collect leftover food from cafeterias, schools, universities and restaurants, then divide it up into individual portions and package it in microwaveable containers. The ready-to-eat, nutritionally balanced meals are then distributed-out to local food panties, soup kitchens and after school programs to help feed the community’s hungry neighbors [FN7].

How to Help

COVID-19 and its fallout has created an unprecedented demand for rapid nutrition assistance, and much of the work has fallen on local relief organizations like Beyond Hunger.

“No one knows when the current health crisis will end, but the resulting hunger crisis will have lasting impacts in the communities we serve. Unemployment is expected to reach 15-25% and we are gearing up to be able to meet that demand…” remarks Ms. Miller. “With the outbreak of COVID-19, we know that those we serve will be hit hardest and the need for food assistance is increasing daily. We are committed to staying open to serve anyone who needs food.”

Unfortunately, they’re already struggling to keep up with the skyrocketing demand. If you’d like to help support Beyond Hunger now, you can:

1) Donate money

Monetary donations are best for food banks and pantries because, due to their bulk purchasing power, they can buy more food for less. At Beyond Hunger, each dollar you donate provides three meals [FN8]. Some Chicago-area businesses, like The Right Spice Company, are also donating their profits to Beyond Hunger. When you can, choose to patronize these local businesses that are putting the community first.

2) Donate food

Nearly half of all food distributed to Beyond Hunger clients comes from direct food donations. The pantry (located in the First United Church of Oak Park) accepts donations of both shelf stable and fresh food Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm [FN9].

3) Donate time

Have some extra time on your hands? Volunteer to help sort or package food at the pantry, or organize a food drive at your school, work or church! Sign-up is easy and they have a place for almost everyone. Click here to learn more about volunteering at Beyond Hunger.

4) Participate in events

Beyond Hunger has been forced to cancel all in-person events due to COVID-19, but you can still participate in fundraisers online! Then, this fall, keep an eye out for local business partnerships and events to celebrate Hunger Action Month in September. Click here to learn about upcoming events.