Highlighting the Role of Mutual Aid in Chicago During COVID-19: Could Mutual Aid Be The Solution to Food Insecurity in Underserved Urban Communities?

The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted food security and food access in urban communities of color. Loss of income, often associated with food insecurity, has affected Hispanic, Black, low-wage workers, single mothers, and women of color more than other groups of individuals. Mutual aid organizations have proliferated in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet a description of the contributions of these organizations in addressing food insecurity has yet to be described in the literature to date. This article aims to describe the unique role and contributions of mutual aid organizations in addressing food insecurity and food access disparities in Chicago’s communities of color during the COVID-19 pandemic. Local mutual aid organizations can function as hubs to feed urban communities while reducing food waste and building community. During the pandemic, mutual aid organizations in Chicago have distributed thousands of pounds of food to families and individuals. Mutual aid organizations provide short-term food security while engaging with community members to create a more equitable and sustainable food system. The development of robust mutual aid hubs facilitated unique opportunities for collaboration and expansion of infrastructure that may allow mutual aid organizations to address food access in their communities well into the future.