Giving Compass' Take:

• Katie Pyzyk, writing for Smart Cities Dive, explores how cities are implementing short-term programs to safely feed people while navigating long-term solutions and initiatives. 

• What are you doing to help strengthen short-term hunger solutions in your city?

• Read about the plight of struggling food supply chains during COVID-19. 

The pandemic hushed the anticipated roar of cheering fans at Wrigley Field for the Chicago Cubs’ home opener, scheduled for March 30. But two weeks later, different pandemic-induced sounds began echoing through the historic stadium: zooming forklifts, the beeping of delivery trucks and the shuffle of cardboard whirring down a temporary conveyor line as volunteers filled donation boxes with food.

The pandemic caused an abrupt spike in food assistance requests in Chicago — a 400% increase at peak — so the city's Lakeview Pantry sought a solution to meet demand while simultaneously ensuring volunteers could socially distance. The Cubs provided temporary use of the stadium for expanded food packing and distribution until the baseball season resumed in July.

The satellite site allowed Lakeview Pantry staff and volunteers to pack about 1,200 food distribution boxes daily, six days a week, serving 2.5 million pounds of food to more than 60,000 individuals during the site’s three months in operation, according to a Lakeview Pantry spokesperson.

The organization also added hours to its other locations, expanded its home delivery program for the elderly, and expanded its mental health counseling services.

This is only one of the many hunger mitigation measures that unfolded when the pandemic struck — and Chicago is hardly the only city where food insecurity skyrocketed. Cities of all sizes around the world felt the pressure as economies shut down and social safety nets became insufficient under the pressure of new individuals who were unable to access food.

Cities and organizations are grappling with implementing immediate, short-term programs to safely feed people, while determining how to parlay the initiatives into long-term measures as the pandemic and its repercussions drag on.

Read the full article about urban hunger by Katie Pyzyk at Smart Cities Dive.