Wellness West Forum Tackles Food Insecurity

State Rep. Camille Lilly (Photos Provided).& Nearly 150 people gathered at the Garfield Park Conservatory on Oct. 10 for “Bridging the Equity Gap: Food Insecurity on the West Side” to discuss one of the most critical issues facing Chicago’s underserved neighborhoods.& Wellness West, a coalition of West Side organizations dedicated to creating transformational continuity of care among hospitals, community health centers, community mental health centers, social services, and other critical points of care, hosted the forum.& The entire program is available to view here. According to the Chicago Food Equity Agenda, 19 percent of Chicagoans face food insecurity, with 29% in majority-Latinx communities and 37 percent in majority-Black communities suffering from food insecurity. Lack of access to healthy food is associated with a range of health conditions such as hypertension, heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes. According to the Center for American Progress, food insecurity costs the U.S. economy $130.5 billion in unnecessary healthcare costs. Misty Drake, Executive Director of Wellness West. The event began with opening remarks from Rep. Camille Lilly, Assistant Majority Leader, Illinois House of Representatives; Jose Sanchez, Wellness West Board Chair and CEO of Humboldt Park Hospital; Donald Dew, Wellness West Board Vice Chair and CEO...