CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- The pandemic economy combined with Thanksgiving is generating more demand for help from food pantries.
At the Lakeview Pantry which has been around for 50 years on the North Side, demand is 200 percent over what it is during a normal November, according to Kathryn Lyons, Chief Development Director.
"If you think about November, last time this year, we served about 6,000 families so we’re looking at now doubling that number," she said.
Lyons said many of the pantry’s clients are showing up for food help for the first time, maybe having lost a job during the pandemic.
"The average person leaves with 88 pounds of food. There’s shelf-stable items. There’s produce. There’s protein meat and dairy," she said.
Lyons said there's no shame in showing up to a food pantry, because you or your family are hungry.
"We know that people are experiencing many layoffs here in Chicago, so just encourage people if you do know someone who is food insecure, if you yourself are food insecure, don’t wait. Come to Lakeview Pantry, and you know, get groceries," she said.
Lakeview Pantry distributes food six days a week from four locations.
"As much as this is a trying time, it’s really a beautiful time where people are coming together and being able to serve our neighbors in need," Lyons said.
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Lyons said that the pantry normally has about 5,000 volunteers a year, but when the pandemic hit, 2,000 more people signed up to help. She said they had been staying at home and needed a mental health break and wanted to do something meaningful.
Now, though, with a surge in COVID-19 numbers in the city, she said the number of volunteers has declined a bit. That's why she encourages anyone who is healthy and feels up to it to volunteer with Lakeview Pantry. She said distributions are done in a COVID-safe way.
To find out more about where you can go to get food help from Lakeview Pantry or how to volunteer, visit: lakeviewpantry.org