Hunger In The Chicago Area

Yesterday CBSChicago.com had a story titled "Study Finds 1 in 5 Chicagoans Are Hungry."

Although the entire article is worthwhile, I find the following excerpts to be most notable (and disconcerting):

The Greater Chicago Food Depository has, for the first time, done a neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdown of hunger in the Chicago area.

As WBBM’s Mike Krauser reports, some of the numbers are staggering.

The numbers are growing—and about 20 percent of Chicagoans are hungry, a new analysis found.

also:

As CBS 2′s Derrick Blakley reports, the report found nearly 850,000 people in Cook County aren’t sure where their next meal is coming from.

also:

At St. Sylvester’s Pantry in Logan Square, the story’s much the same. Three years ago, they served 225 families. Now, they serve more than 800.

Deacon Fred Ortiz said, “We have people that have been in banking, people that have been in teaching, medical fields. We have seen a very, very big increase in that type of client coming in for service.”

Overall, the Chicago Food Depository says visits to food pantries are soaring, up 58 percent in the last three years.

Depository CEO Kate Maehr said, “That hunger is not restricted to one neighborhood. It’s in every community and every suburban community in our county and across our state in record numbers.”

_____


The Special Note summarizes my overall thoughts about our economic situation


SPX at 1126.84 as this post is written