Expanding Service Area to Include Hines Veterans

Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry is expanding our service area from 12 to 13 zip codes to include Hines, 60141, home to Freedom’s Path housing complex, a residential facility for veterans who are homeless or at risk for homelessness, located on the Campus of Hines VA Hospital.

This service expansion targets veterans because they are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity.  Feeding America notes that 20% of households served by their network of food banks and pantries have a member who is a veteran or has served in the U.S. military.  Those who served in the U.S. military between 1975-2001 are significantly more likely to struggle with hunger than their non-military counterparts, or even than veterans who served during other times. One in four veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars report food-insecurity.

Paula Berg, Pantry Manager at Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry, noticed an increase in veterans coming to the Pantry last year and “felt the influx of clients from Hines we had been seeing needed addressing.  After consulting with donors and stakeholders, we determined we had the ability to serve them.”  Last year, prior to adding the Hines zip code, the Pantry served 382 veterans.  Berg notes that with the expanded service area, “Hopefully we are able to better serve some of the most vulnerable veterans in our community.”

Under this expansion, residents of Hines’ Freedom Path will be able to receive food from Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry once per month.  Each household receives over 60 pounds of food, a mix of fresh produce, whole grains, lean meats, and non-perishable items.  Unlike homeless shelters or single room occupancy (SRO) residential complexes, Freedom’s Path includes full kitchens in each of their 72 units, allowing veterans to effectively use the food offered by the Pantry.

For More Information, contact:

Michele Zurakowski, Executive Director

(708)434-0085

About Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry

Oak Park River Forest Food Pantry now serves 13 zip codes across Cook County including portions of the city of Chicago and many near-west suburbs.  Last year, the Pantry distributed over 898,000 pounds of food to 15,494 families in our community.  For nearly 40 years, the Food Pantry has been providing vital hunger relief services to the community.  In addition to emergency allotments of food, we now provide help connecting eligible individual to income support benefits, nutrition education, cooking classes, free summer meals to children, and home-delivered groceries to low-income home-bound residents.  

References

Boston University, New study compares food insecurity in veteran and non-veteran households

Feeding America, Millions of veterans struggle with hunger

Food and Nutrition, Help end food insecurity among our veterans and military families