Cook County Food Access Council seeks resident input on food access

The Cook County Food Access Council is seeking to better understand the challenges county residents face in accessing fresh, affordable food. The council is asking residents to participate in a survey or attend one of several listening sessions scheduled throughout the county.

“We’re going to have multiple facilitators and have some guiding questions for those who are attending to kind of start those conversations, and then just seeing where those conversations go,” council member Kristina Campbell-Mattson told WTIP.

Campbell-Mattson said the survey should take about 10 minutes to complete.

The survey and listening sessions represent a two-pronged approach to examining food access in Cook County. The survey will provide data for the council to review, while the listening sessions will give community members an opportunity to share their individual experiences.

The Food Access Council is preparing a strategic plan and hopes the survey and listening sessions will provide clarity about its goals for the coming years.

“Nothing really happens in its own silo here in this county. Everything’s connected,” Campbell-Mattson said. “We’re looking at things that are coming forward in ways that we can be really effective and efficient, and working together collaboratively across sectors to help to mitigate those challenges as much as we can. ”

The listening sessions are scheduled for:

Monday, Oct. 12
Colvill Town Hall | 6-7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 13
Tofte Town Hall | 6-7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 20
Cook County Higher Education | 6-7:30 p.m.

A Cook County news release said the 2023-27 Cook County Community Health Assessment identified access to affordable, healthy food as a community priority. The assessment estimated that 9.6% of Cook County residents experienced food insecurity and documented increased use of resources such as the Cook County Food Shelf.

Food affordability has also become a national issue, with rising diesel prices increasing shipping costs. Those higher transportation costs can be passed along to consumers at checkout.

The council is seeking input from all Cook County residents, not only those experiencing food insecurity.

“We have a lot of people who are really interested in partnering to ensure that we break down silos in food access in our county, and we’ve been really successful with a lot of programs that we’ve brought forward, and system changes in the county to help strengthen the resources we have,” Campbell-Mattson said. “And what we’re looking for is to look at what’s working, and what can we strengthen with what’s working.”

Those interested in taking the survey can do so here. The survey will remain open through Nov. 15.

WTIP spoke with Kristina Campbell-Mattson about the Food Access Council and the work it has done over the years. Audio of that conversation can be found below.

Josh Hinke October 5, 2026