We tend to view basic human rights and health issues as a global problem. We read stories of hunger, malnutrition, and starvation in news reports. We see videos of children in third world countries with distended bellies.

We don’t realize that hunger isn't some nebulous problem halfway around the globe. It’s happening right in front of us. Right now. Right here in Chicago.

It’s incomprehensible that in a city like Chicago, so many worry about where their next meal comes from. Or that they must decide between eating and other necessities.

Food insecurity is the condition where people cannot reliably access adequate, nutritious food. Lack of financial and other resources can cause it. People who are food insecure struggle to avoid hunger, a narrower physiological condition. Hunger is what you feel when you don’t have enough to eat. Food insecurity is the set of circumstances that prevent your access to food.

According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap Study, one in seven people in Cook County will experience food insecurity this year.

The Food Depository serves more than 812,000 individuals or 232,100 households each year.

Food insecurity varies across the county. In some communities, more than half of all residents are food insecure.

Food insecurity is usually episodic and often cyclical. People may require assistance a single time, for a few months, or on a more regular basis.

There is no one face of food insecurity. The need varies among children, older adults, people with disabilities, veterans, the working poor, and others, as does the best way of reaching them.

Making tradeoff decisions between paying for food and other basic needs such as medical bills and housing is common among Food Depository clients.

Many food insecure households do not qualify for federal nutrition assistance programs.

I was introduced to the Great Chicago Food Depository in high school and was hooked. I volunteered at GCFD many times over the years, and it’s continued to grow into an amazing operation.

Since 1979, the Food Depository has made a daily impact on hunger across Cook County. Last year, the GCFD distributed 70 million pounds of food, 35% of which was fresh produce. Every day the GCFD distributes the equivalent of 160,000 meals.

Imagine feeding Soldier Field TWICE...EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Volunteers repack bulk food into family-sized portions, work in the loading dock and drive food to pantries among other work. One of the highlights was collecting donations from vendors at food industry shows. I went to McCormick Place and scavenged food that would be otherwise discarded. Then we would immediately repurpose it and sent to families in need.