Rich Township’s public food pantry has experienced a significant surge in demand amid a combination of recent severe weather events and changes to federal food assistance programs, officials said.

Calvin Jordan, supervisor of Rich Township in the south suburbs of Chicago, noted that the summer storms—including tornadoes—that caused widespread and prolonged power outages have had a lasting impact on residents’ access to food. Many households lost perishable items spoiled by the outages, increasing the need for emergency food support.

“When we had the tornado and all that stuff, people lost out a lot,” Jordan said. “It just spoiled.”

This increase in demand comes as families in the area are grappling with the rising cost of living. Jordan shared that some clients are limiting travel and other expenses, citing the price of gasoline as a barrier to accessing resources beyond the pantry.

“Several people have said, ‘The only time I move my car is to come here to get some food and go back in. I just can’t afford the price of gasoline,’” Jordan said.

The food pantry’s challenges have been compounded by recent changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). New federal work requirements instituted earlier this year require most adults aged 18 to 64 without dependents under 14 to work or volunteer at least 80 hours per month to maintain benefits. Additionally, many noncitizens, including refugees and asylum-seekers, are no longer eligible.

Cook County officials have acknowledged these changes disproportionately affect working families, immigrants, and individuals already facing economic hardship. These shifts have led to an increasing number of people turning to local food pantries for assistance.

Jordan confirmed the demand at Rich Township has grown rapidly, with many families stretched thin after covering housing costs and other essentials. He also noted that smaller pantries in the region are struggling to keep supplies, placing additional strain on larger facilities.

“A couple of those pantries, they don’t even really have anything. I pretty much know that they have really been wiped out,” he said.

A recent report from the Greater Chicago Food Depository highlighted a broader hunger crisis in Chicago and its suburbs, estimating that one in three families faces food insecurity. Kate Maehr, the organization’s chief executive officer, called the situation a critical warning for the city and the nation.

Between April and July 2026, the Rich Township pantry served 8,894 clients, according to township data. Jordan estimated the pantry regularly serves between 600 and 700 visitors weekly. Services operate from 1 to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays and from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 22013 Governors Highway in Richton Park.

Despite these efforts, some residents arrive outside of distribution hours, either after work or too early before they must leave, highlighting the difficulty of accessing assistance.

Jordan emphasized the wide range of people utilizing the pantry, describing the clientele as reflective of the broader community’s needs, not limited to any single demographic.

In previous years, the pantry concentrated fundraising efforts around holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas, but the current demand requires continuous solicitation of donations. Jordan stressed the importance of community support to meet ongoing needs.

“I don’t want to turn my back against people that really need help,” he said. “If we don’t help these people, who will help them?”