City of Chicago and Chicago Public Library (CPL) announced the grand opening of the Library-Based Food Access program at Legler Regional Library, a full-service food pantry created in partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository.  The pantry provides families in East and West Garfield Park with a rotating selection of protein, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy and other essential food groups that support a healthy diet. The program officially soft launched on July 31, 2025. In its first eight weeks, the pantry, while modest in scale, served 786 households and has since served an estimated 600 households each month, demonstrating immediate demand and deep community reliance. West Garfield Park remains one of Chicago’s most food-insecure communities. Chicago Public Library is currently the second public library system in the nation to operate a fully functional food pantry, positioning Chicago as a national leader in integrating food access and social services into trusted civic spaces.  The pantry is open on Thursdays from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.  Learn more at https://chi.gov/leglerpantry.

Photo Credit: Chicago Public Library