Pop-up pantry at Cook County Courthouse extended as need for food access assistance remains

Spurred by the federal government shutdown in November of 2025, Cook County Public Health and Human Services set up a temporary food pantry in a corner of the courthouse lobby. During the shutdown, benefits through food access programs, like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, were disrupted. The pop-up, originally planned for just two months, has now been extended until April 1.

The no-questions asked pantry was established as self-serve, both for those looking to pick up food, and those looking to donate it. Statewide Health Improvement Partnership coordinator Kristina Campbell Mattson told WTIP that the aim was to make the pantry as accessible as possible. So far, it seems like the formula has been working. Campbell Mattson said that though the self-serve nature makes it hard to say exactly how many people are using the pop-up pantry, and how many items have come through the courthouse, there is a high rate of turnover of the food in the donation bins.

With the initial success of the program, the county has opted to continue operating the pantry, and is working on collecting more information about usage. Campbell Mattson said that the county is asking users to complete a voluntary survey with a short list of questions about their pantry usage, household size, and area of residence in the county.

“We’re hopefully going to get some more of that quantitative data, outside of the qualitative data that we have of just observing, and be able to have that drive more of how we can move forward with this and see if it’s something we want to continue doing,” Campbell Mattson said.

With more formal data coming in about the pantry, the county is describing it as a pilot. Campbell Mattson said that with the success of the pantry in the courthouse, other communities in the county might want to replicate it. She said that because transportation can be a major hurdle for people needing food access support, pop-ups in other parts of the county could prove valuable.

Campbell Mattson said that during the government shutdown there was strong community support for food access projects. While there has been consistent use of the pantry, she said that recently donations have dropped off, despite the continued need.

Any shelf-stable food item is welcome at the pop-up pantry, unless it is expired, but Campbell Mattson said that there are particular items that users select quickly. She said that protein is always needed at food shelves, including canned meats and shelf-stable milk. Ingredients, things like flour and sugar, are popular. She encouraged those interested in donating to think about not only individual items, but how ingredients might fit together. Though items like coffee might not be, strictly, a necessary food item, Campbell Mattson said it is a popular item. “This is about dignity and providing people the things that they need, but also the things that provide that, that quality of life, too.”

Campbell Mattson said that the non-food items that the pantry accepts are also popular. She said things like household paper products, baby care items, period supplies, and general hygiene products have seen fast turnover when they have been donated. On the day that WTIP visited the pantry, the bins for those items were completely empty.

The pop-up pantry is not the only food access point for those in need of help. The Grand Marais Food Shelf recently underwent a renovation and is shifting to a SuperShelf model. Campbell Mattson said that food access groups across the county have aimed to collaborate with each other. “This is about creating opportunities to increase access. The food shelf does an amazing job,” she said. “This is to complement the food shelf, not to replace it.”

The pop-up pantry is available for both donation drop-off and food pick-up during the hours that the courthouse is open, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

WTIP’s Kirsten Wisniewski spoke to SHIP coordinator Kristina Campbell Mattson. Audio of that interview is below.

Kirsten Wisniewski February 6, 2026