2025 Hunger and Health Illinois Regional Summit - Chicago
U Discuss new opportunities to fight hunger with a diverse mixture of experts.
Participate in the 2025 Health & Hunger Illinois Regional Summit, hosted by Illinois SNAP-Education, and explore strategies to catalyze collaboration among local, public, and regional organizations to address food insecurity and health.
Check-in/Registration at entrance of the building. A conference agenda/program will be available when you arrive.
The cost of registration is $10. Lunch is included. Fee waivers are available. Register by April 28, 2025.
When: May 7, 2025
Where: Kennedy King College, 740 W 63rd Street U Building, Chicago, IL 60621
Agenda and Breakout Descriptions:
9 - 10 a.m.: Welcome, Recognition and Keynote in Great Hall U105
10:15 - 11 a.m.: Morning Session - Community Driven Food Retail Investment (Panel Conversation) in Great Hall U105
How can we invest in communities to promote health as a united front? The desirability of many urban areas and towns across the United States has been significantly impacted by the collapse of local shopping. One important consideration for people when choosing a place to live is the easy access to products and services, and communities that lack adequate grocery stores and retail establishments suffer greatly. Rebuilding is still difficult in low-income areas as well as in many other urban areas where the shift in food purchasing patterns that occurred during and because of the pandemic never fully restored again. As a result, many are forced to travel outside their neighborhoods to shop for goods and services that most others take for granted in their everyday lives. Thus, rebuilding neighborhood retail is a difficult, lengthy, and complicated process. Innovative strategies and tactics are needed to restore a neighborhood’s vitality and competitiveness.
Break out #1: 11:15 - 12:00 p.m. - Assisting Those Experiencing Homelessness and New Citizenship to Find Housing in Great Hall U105
Financial programs and connecting our neighbors with social service agencies or groups that focus on housing aid, can help them learn about resources available in Chicago. Examples of organizations that can offer information about available housing options, applications, and eligibility requirements include the Chicago Help Initiative, Catholic Charities, Access Living, and local shelters. Some community pantries may even provide direct referrals to these organizations as part of their own operations. Discover the main ways that food pantries can help people obtain housing. Which collaborations with case managers or other organizations can help with eligibility screening and information dissemination?
Break out #2: 11:15 - 12:00 p.m. - The Effect of Container Gardening on Local Economic Development in Black Box U143
Gardening can be a wonderful pastime: When residents grow their own food and sell surplus at farmers markets or CSAs, it stimulates local food economies by creating demand for locally grown produce. It provides opportunities to go outdoors, to connect with nature, to work with our hands, and to enjoy the productivity of raising and caring for plants. Individuals can start small businesses selling produce grown in container gardens, or offering gardening services like planting, maintenance, and harvesting. While food pantries always are in favor of community gardening, it feels especially relevant these days, as we are all more aware of food cost and food insecurity. Let us work toward food sovereignty by providing the materials, tools, education, and resources to anyone who wants to garden!
12 - 12:45 p.m. - Lunch
12 - 3:00 p.m. - Exhibitor Booths in Great Hall U105
Breakout Session #3: 12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. - How Small Businesses Drive Financial Growth in Black Box U143
Participants in this session will develop skills to support entrepreneurship and create innovative solutions for economic challenges in their communities. The focus will be on how small businesses drive economic growth by creating jobs and enhancing financial stability for families. Thriving small businesses increase household incomes, allowing families to buy healthier food options and reducing reliance on low-cost, low-nutrition alternatives. This shift improves dietary quality and food security, helping to combat malnutrition and obesity. Strong local economies promote health initiatives such as farmers' markets and nutrition education programs, resulting in better health outcomes. By empowering communities to seize entrepreneurial opportunities, this session demonstrates how a healthier economy leads to healthier families and improved nutrition.
Breakout Session #4: 12:45 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. - Economic and Environmental Benefits of Reducing Food Waste in Great Hall U105
Find out about new initiatives and technology that will create and test methods for organizing and conducting food waste reduction and municipal composting plans to promote urban agriculture. Supporting and giving priority to projects that show or predict financial gains; integrating other food waste management techniques, such as food recovery initiatives that work with several partners. Can we connect and shorten the timeline so that supermarkets, restaurants, farms, and food banks donate healthy food near expiration? With every meal that is saved, more food becomes accessible for our neighbors who are experiencing food insecurity. Together, we can eliminate food waste and ensure that everyone has access to healthful food.
2 – 2:45 p.m.: Final Session - Child Food Nutrition Insecurity and Food Inequity (Panel Conversation) in Great Hall U105
In Cook County, Illinois, one in six children experience food insecurity on any given day. This means that hundreds of thousands of children in the Chicago area have limited access to adequate food. According to research provided by The Grace Network organization, close to 15% of all Chicago Public Schools students will experience some form of homelessness while they are in school, which is 48,795 students. Understand family’s household struggles to provide enough food for everyone, which can have serious impacts on children’s health and development. How do we improve program enrollment to help address childhood hunger issues? USDA offers summer meal programs, WIC, SNAP, School lunch, breakfast, and after school meals through various approved sites across the country. These programs provide free meals and snacks to children 18 and younger when healthy meals are not available.
2:45 - 3:15 p.m. - Chopped Challenge - MyPlate Pizza in Great Hall U105
3:15 - 3:30 p.m. - Closing and Action Items in Great Hall U105