As Illinois families wait to learn how much federal food assistance they’ll receive this month, some residents are finding their own ways to help neighbors who might be struggling to put food on the table.
In Oak Lawn, Carolanne Sinacore turned the little library in front of her home into a food pantry, filling it with canned goods, pasta, and other staples. She made the change after hearing reports that SNAP benefits could be delayed or reduced, and she worried about the families who rely on them.
“People shouldn’t be hungry. That’s crazy,” Sinacore said. “We get a lot of foot traffic here, and I never want to make assumptions about anyone’s situation. So we just decided to change it over to a pantry until SNAP is fully restored.”
Neighbors have been dropping off food and other items often, sometimes so much that Sinacore has to find extra space. On Halloween, a few children trick-or-treating stopped to ask about the pantry. “They were like, ‘Oh, is this for anyone who’s hungry?’” she said. “I told them, absolutely, please take what you need.”
Her effort has caught attention on local Facebook group pages, where residents have been sharing photos and noting how quickly the idea has spread.
The shift came after the federal government temporarily froze the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program during the ongoing shutdown. Two federal judges later ordered the Trump administration to use contingency funds to keep the program running, but the disruption left food banks and families scrambling.
Nearly 2 million Illinois residents rely on SNAP benefits, according to state data, and food pantries across the region have reported serving more first-time visitors in recent weeks. Gov. JB Pritzker directed $20 million in state funds to food banks to help fill the gap.
Sinacore said the strain on nearby pantries pushed her to act. “Almost Home, one of the pantries nearby, said nearly half the people they saw last week were new,” she said. “You hear that and think, okay, people need help now.”
She plans to bring a larger donation to Almost Home, hoping to support families beyond her block. “I’ve seen families in Beverly organizing big community meals,” she said. “I don’t know if I could pull that off, but this, this I can do.”
Sinacore says she doesn’t know how long her little library will serve as a pantry, only that she’ll keep it stocked for as long as neighbors might need it. “It makes me sad that we have to do this,” she said. “But it also makes me happy that people care enough to try. That’s what keeps it going.”