A food giveaway in West Garfield Park held this morning aimed to provide a stopgap for residents stuck in a food desert since their last grocery store was abruptly closed two weeks ago.
There was already line of about 45 people in the Save a Lot parking lot on Pulaski before organizers could package the food, estimates Julia Bassett, system manager for community health and benefits at Rush University Medical Center.
She said the event was planned in five days and they gave out groceries to about 100 families in 30 minutes, working with local moving company owner Deshawn Nelson.
Nelson has been handing out hot food for about two years, but said this was his first time working with partners to give out fresh groceries. That’s especially important as the neighborhood awaits the reopening of Save a Lot that was temporarily shuttered by health inspectors.
Bassett said this is part of their mission to close the 16 year life expectancy gap between people in West Garfield Park and the Loop.
Organizers have more giveaways planned for the next three weeks when they hope the grocery store will reopen.
