Feed1st, a no-questions-asked, self-serve food pantry program at a Chicago, Illinois, medical center, increased its impact during the COVID-19 pandemic, adding five new pantries and distributing 124% more food in March 2020 to November 2021 (42 970 pounds or 36 000 meals) than in the same period of 2018 to 2019 (19 220 pounds or 16 000 meals). Of 11 locations, distribution was highest in a phlebotomy waiting area and a cafeteria pantry. The community-engaged model enabled Feed1st to increase food access for patients, caregivers, and workers during the pandemic. (Am J Public Health. 2022;112(10):1394–1398. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306984)
We describe the Feed1st hunger mitigation program, established in 2010, and its rapid expansion during the COVID-19 pandemic. The impact of this open-access model is compared with the only other hospital-based food pantry reporting its impact during the same period, which uses the prevalent questions-asked, limited-access approach.