(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Nonprofits Vivery Community and 211 Metro Chicago have announced a partnership to address food insecurity in Chicago.
“Food insecurity in Chicago is, honestly, reaching staggering levels,” said Azita Habibi, with Vivery.
Habibi said recent data shows that 20% of Chicagoans are facing hunger — and are struggling to find resources online.
“The challenge is that neighbors are increasingly starting their searches online,” Habibi said. “They're becoming digitally literate [whereas] a lot of these resources lag in technology, simply through underinvestment.”
She said that's why Vivery, a nonprofit that uses technology to digitize food access, is teaming up with helpline 211 Metro Chicago to integrate Vivery technology into its system.
For those who opt to call rather than search online, Habibi said the partnership between Vivery and 211 Metro Chicago will still net the most up-to-date information.
“Regardless of how they come in, they should get the best information, the most kind of robust, comprehensive information about the charitable food resources that are available to them,” she said.
In the end, she added, it’s “really about creating access.”
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