One in every four people in Cook County are experiencing food insecurity, according to the Greater Chicago Food Depository. Kathy Wyckline is one of the many thousands who fell upon hard times in recent years and relied on her local food pantry for support.
“There was a time that I did come into need when our benefits were reduced and at some point, just taken away,” she explained while standing in front of dozens of fully stocked shelves at the Harvest Hope Center in Rolling Meadows.
Wyckline helped distribute food to her community at the Harvest Hope Center. She wants to support people who are going through the same struggles she’s faced. And she’s happy to connect families with fresh food in a dignified environment.
“It’s awesome food that you get right off the shelves at the store,” said Wyckline.
The food pantry also offers fresh fruits and vegetables grown in its garden just feet away from the pantry’s doors.
A Growing Need
More people across Cook County may be turning to food pantries for assistance due to a federal change in SNAP benefit requirements.
According to the Illinois Department of Human Services, certain SNAP clients lost their benefits on or after May 1 because they didn’t meet new federal work requirements. The change is part of the Big Beautiful Bill, passed last year.
But a lifeline is coming for people who are impacted by the federal change — albeit a temporary one.
Creating a Lifeline
When the leaders of the Greater Chicago Food Depository learned of the federal work requirement changes, they knew they had to act fast.
“It was estimated that about 450,000 people would lose their benefits because of that change,” said Danielle Perry, the Vice President of Policy, Advocacy, and Community Engagement at Greater Chicago Food Depository. Perry was an integral part of the team that collaborated with the state of Illinois to create the Families Receiving Emergency Support for Hunger Program, also known as FRESH.
Since May, 148,000 people already lost their SNAP benefits, according to Perry.
According to IDHS, the FRESH Program “…gives a one-time [$400] cash payment to people whose SNAP benefits were reduced or stopped because they did not meet the federal SNAP work requirement.”
Previously, Illinois SNAP recipients were exempt from work requirements due to the state’s high unemployment rate, Perry explained.
Come August 1, an estimated 100,000 eligible Illinois residents who recently lost food assistance benefits due to new federal regulations should see a one-time $400 deposit on their LINK cards.
If you qualify, the money should automatically show up on your LINK card. If you no longer have a LINK card, IDHS says you can request a new one through EBTedge.com or by calling the LINK Hotline at 1-800-678-LINK (5465).
According to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, “Individuals who have benefits impacted for reasons other than the work requirements will NOT be eligible for FRESH,” If your benefits are impacted in August or later, “payments will be provided in the same month the loss or reduction of SNAP occurred.”
The FRESH Program is only available in Illinois. It’s set to expire in July 2027 or when the funding runs out.
If you’re having trouble navigating your SNAP benefits and you’d like help with the process, the Greater Chicago Food Depository offers free help to the community. You can call the Food Depository Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 773- 247-3663.
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