Nearly 400,000 Illinois residents could lose access to food assistance after new work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) took effect on February 1. Community organizations across Chicago are preparing for a challenging year as more families seek help and resources are stretched thin.
The updated SNAP rules now require many recipients—including families with older children, people experiencing homelessness, veterans, individuals up to age 64, and youth who have aged out of foster care—to complete at least 80 hours per month of work, job training, or volunteering to remain eligible for benefits. Approximately 360,000 people in Illinois are at risk of losing support due to these changes.
Other programs that support families and children have also faced uncertainty. The Trump administration previously froze billions in grants to states like Illinois for programs such as Temporary Assistance for Needy Families and the Child Care and Development Fund. However, a federal judge has temporarily blocked this freeze while legal proceedings continue.
The situation is unfolding amid rising living costs and increasing food insecurity in Chicago. Local nonprofits such as Safe Families for Children, La Casa Norte, and Families Helping Families Chicagoland are seeking more volunteers and financial contributions to meet growing demand.
“No organization works in a vacuum,” said José M. Muñoz, executive director of La Casa Norte. “If another organization is not able to provide [community members] with something, then that just strains the safety net system.”
La Casa Norte offers housing support, a food pantry, job training services, and a health clinic from its Humboldt Park location. According to Muñoz, the number of people served by the organization grew from 5,000 in 2020 to 24,000 by 2025.
“We know firsthand that hunger is not a motivator; it’s a barrier,” he said.
The group partners with Nourishing Hope to run El Mercadito in Humboldt Park—a hub where about 150 households receive groceries daily. While community food programs play an important role in addressing hunger locally—Nourishing Hope’s network provides millions of meals each year—advocates stress they cannot replace federal assistance like SNAP. For every meal provided by Feeding America food banks nationwide, SNAP supplies nine meals.
La Casa Norte also offers job training programs that can help recipients meet SNAP’s new requirements but notes there are limited opportunities for stable employment or specialized training needed for certain fields.
“The bottom line: There [are] not enough resources,” Muñoz said.
The organization is requesting additional donations and volunteers as it prepares to open a new non-congregate housing facility for young people in Humboldt Park—a model where each resident has their own room.
Safe Families for Children pairs parents with trained volunteer Host Families who can care for children while parents handle emergencies or difficult situations. More than 1,200 host families serve the Chicago area through this program. Courtney Rose, Cook County director of Safe Families for Children, noted:
“We’re already feeling the pinch.”
Monica Turner shared her experience as both a client and later a volunteer Host Family with Safe Families:
“It was scary at first to trust a volunteer with her children,” Turner said. “But I think I got the feel of it and the vibe of the lady and said, ‘Oh yeah, you know what, I’m confident that they will be alright.’”
To address increased need due to SNAP changes—and ensure adequate support—Safe Families is launching efforts to recruit more volunteers so multiple helpers can assist each family when needed.
“We simply will not be able to support them in a way that families deserve to be supported unless we get a massive influx of more volunteers,” Rose said. “It’s really up to you, the volunteer. What are you willing to invest?”
Amy Newman leads Families Helping Families Chicagoland—a group providing emergency funds and other aid for foster kids and families facing crises such as fires or loss of benefits:
“Something happens that has [families] go, ‘Oh my gosh, I need help right now,’ and we’re sort of the Band-Aid,” Newman said.
She anticipates greater demand as families lose SNAP benefits: “So for us it’s figuring out how are we going to fill in for them? We’re just a stopgap; we’re not something that’s going to keep them going.”
“In the world there just needs to be more resources to help people self-sustain,” Newman added.
