The Legler Regional Chicago Public Library opened its doors to the first-of-a-kind food pantry on Chicago's West Side.
In many ways, the Legler Regional Library looks like any other public library.
But it is far from that.
Tucked in its basement is something incredibly unique.
It's a full-service food pantry operating inside the library.
"I really wanted to say how important this is and how meaningful it is that we are able to serve the community, not just as a library but also as a safe harbor," Chicago Public Library Board President Linda Johnson Rice said.
Chicago's mayor toured the food pantry, which had a soft opening on July 31, and was created in partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
"This partnership is a clear statement of our commitment to the West Side and to the people who have always made this community strong, even in the face of disinvestment," Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson said.
The library-based food access program is free, and operates like a full-service grocery store, providing a rotating selection of meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy and other essential staples.
The Chicago public library is the second library system in the nation behind Baltimore, Maryland to launch the innovative idea, which served over 700 families in its first eight weeks.
"Today it serves on average over 600 households per month," Chicago Public Library Commissioner Chris Brown said.
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The food pantry is located at 115 S. Pulaski Road in the city's West Garfield Park neighborhood.
The West Side community is considered a food desert and one of Chicago's most food insecure communities.
"If you come here on an average day, you'll see individuals who may not be in the best shape in life, but they're getting the assistance that they need," 28th Ward Alderman Jason Ervin said.
According to the 2025 Greater Chicago Food Depository Hunger Report, around one in four people in the greater Chicagoland area experience food insecurity.
Twenty one percent of Chicago-area households with children experienced food insecurity mid-2024: a rate near pandemic levels.
Advocates say the crisis will be made worse because of cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, under President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act."
"We anticipate as many as 120,000 people in Cook county will lose their SNAP benefits," Greater Chicago Food Depository CEO Kate Maehr said.
In addition to supplying the food, the Greater Chicago Food Depository also paid for the library food pantry's cold storage refrigerator and freezers.
The Legler Regional Food Pantry is open 4 to 7 p.m. Thursdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays.
Organizers of this effort say if this pilot program goes well, they'll look into possibly expanding pantries to other libraries around the city.