Our Region’s Community Foundation. Cheryl R. Whitaker, M.D., M.P.H. Moderator Senior Program Officer The Chicago Community Trust

Our Region’s Community Foundation. 900,000 Illinois residents obtain food from food pantries each year 786,162 food stamps used in June 2010— an 11.9% increase over June 2009 Hunger

Our Region’s Community Foundation. 26.6% of adults in Illinois are obese 20.7% of children in Illinois are obese Obesity

Our Region’s Community Foundation. Our goal: healthier families & communities Emergency Food System Fighting Obesity Restructured Local Food System Access to & Consumption of More Good Food Decrease in Caloric Intake Healthier Families & Communities

Our Region’s Community Foundation. Trust support for hunger & obesity work Community Development + Health + Basic Human Needs Unity Challenge Grants for hunger $1 million / year $250,000 / year

Our Region’s Community Foundation. Trust grant recipients: hunger & hunger prevention Improving Food Security Greater Chicago Food Depository Chicago Anti-Hunger Federation Good News Community Kitchen Ravenswood Community Services Northern Illinois Food Bank Englewood Food Network Illinois Hunger Coalition Enlace Chicago La Casa Norte Feeding Illinois Irving Park Community Food Pantry Lakeview Pantry

Our Region’s Community Foundation. Trust grant recipients: demand and access to fresh foods Creating Demand & Access to Fresh Foods Fresh Taste (Chicago Region Good Food Fund) Seven Generations Ahead Growing Home Healthy Schools Campaign Angelic Organics Learning Center The Experimental Station Puerto Rican Cultural Center NeighborSpace

Our Region’s Community Foundation. Trust grant recipients: obesity prevention Promoting Healthy Lifestyle Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children (Children’s Memorial Medical Center) Active Transportation Alliance Namaste Charter School, Inc. Girls in the Game Women’s Sports Foundation

Our Region’s Community Foundation. Areas with high food stamp use

Our Region’s Community Foundation. Areas with high obesity rates

Our Region’s Community Foundation. Kate Maehr Chief Executive Officer Greater Chicago Food Depository

Defining hunger Insufficient access to food Skipping meals, cutting back on the quantity or quality of food “Food insecurity” Nutrition programs provide a safety net Providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in our community

Hunger in Chicago Food Depository serves 678,000 people each year 37% under age 18 34% of households include one employed adult 44% receive SNAP benefits Providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in our community

The new normal 64% more pantry visits in July 2010 than in July 2007 November 2009 set monthly record of 484,725 individual visits Providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in our community

Unmet need Providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in our community Identifying needs based on demography, geography and seasonality Creating strategies to bridge gaps Example: Results of child hunger study lead to new Lunch Bus Program

Healthy food options Connecting families in priority neighborhoods with SNAP benefits, urban agriculture and other resources Plan to increase proportion of produce to 30 percent by 2015 Increased availability of whole grain, transfat-free and reduced-sodium food Providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in our community

Our Region’s Community Foundation. Adam B. Becker, Ph.D., M.P.H. Executive Director Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children

September 23, 2010 The Hunger- Obesity Paradox: What We Know, What We Can Do Adam B. Becker PhD, MPH Executive Director CLOCC

Childhood Obesity: The Problem Prevalence –Nationally - an estimated 17 percent of children and adolescents ages 2-19 years are obese –10.4% of children 2-5 years of age –Chicago – 22% of 3-7 year olds entering school are obese (down from 24%)

Childhood Obesity: The Problem Disparities –Chicago neighborhoods experience inequalities in childhood obesity –SUHI found rates as high as 60% in some communities of color The Cause: Energy Imbalance –Calories consumed > energy expended = weight gain –Calories consumed = energy expended = weight stable –Calories consumed < energy expended = weight loss

The Hunger-Obesity Paradox Research findings are complex – do not illustrate direct relationships Food insecure women are at greatest risk for obesity Factors related to both food insecurity and obesity stem from poverty! –Stretching the food dollar –Feast or famine (binge eating, storing) –Lack of safe places to play 22

Neighborhood Solutions for Food Access State Level – Illinois Fresh Food Fund –May mean increased food retail in underserved communities Citywide –Healthy Vending Strategies CPS CPD Citywide?? Innovative Neighborhood Retail Strategies –Local restaurants, corner stores and street vendors –Produce carts and food kiosks –Farmers’ Markets EBT and “Market for All” More markets than farmers! 23

Our Region’s Community Foundation. Karen Lehman Director Fresh Taste

We live in two worlds… Sources: “Harvest Time in Illinois,” ( CAFO ( ); Paul O. Boisvert for The New York Times, June 30, 2009 ( Hearst Ranch in Southern California (

Net to farmers is the same in inflation adjusted dollars, but subsidies are not on here and what they make up. Where are the subsidies represented here? Source: Ken Meter, Crossroads Resource Center

2008 TO 2010 SNAP S ALES I NCREASES C HICAGO ’ S 61 ST S TREET F ARMERS M ARKET Chicago Double Value LINK Program 2009: $5,000 in LINK sales (#1 in IL for highest LINK usage at a farmers’ market) Projected for 2010: $10,000 in LINK sales and $7,000 in DVCP redemption

The Chicago Region Foodshed Source: Good to Grow Presentation, Urban Agriculture Conference, March 2008

Our Region’s Community Foundation. Our goal: healthier families & communities Emergency Food System Fighting Obesity Restructured Local Food System Access & Consumption of More Good Food Decrease in Caloric Intake Healthier Families & Communities

Our Region’s Community Foundation. Through the generous support of donors, the Trust invests over $1 million each year to build local food systems, fight hunger and prevent obesity. All to help builder healthier families and communities for the Chicago region. Collaborator. Contact Kathy Pope at to find out how you can support the Trust or the organizations represented on the panel today. Convener. Catalyst.