Essentials Pantry Provides Products for Dignity, Health, and Well-Being
I am grateful to The Neighborhood Bridge for all you do. This means so much to my family and has helped in many ways. I appreciate everything and am forever grateful.—A thank you note we received from a family after receiving an Essentials Pantry order.
Chicagoans are feeling the squeeze on their wallets and their budgets. In the Austin neighborhood, where most of our partner schools are located, half of the families qualify for federal assistance programs. However, these programs don’t cover many essential products—products that support health and dignity.
The Idea of the Essentials Pantry is Born
In the spring of 2023, The Neighborhood Bridge asked parents at partner schools about their needs. Many said they struggle to afford essential household, personal care, and baby care products. While there are programs that help families access healthcare, food, and housing, there is no public support for families in need of these products. When families cannot afford basic household essentials, they must make choices. Research shows they often ration or forgo these products to stretch their budgets farther.
Why This Matters
If children do not have access to soap, deodorant, or clean clothes, it can affect their confidence, well-being, and sometimes their attendance. Lack of toothpaste and toothbrushes affects dental health. Lack of diapers not only impacts a child’s health but also prevents participation in daycare or early education programs. Yet diapers can cost an average family $70 per month. In the U.S., one in four teens and one in three adults struggle to afford menstrual products, especially teens of color and those in lower-income households.
A Complimentary Benefit for All Families
The Neighborhood Bridge realized that providing these essentials to partner school families free of charge would help families stretch their budgets a little farther and provide important products essential for dignity, health, and well-being.
A parent survey conducted in the spring of 2024 helped us determine which products the Essentials Pantry should stock. Partners, such as Wintrust Bank, stepped forward to help launch the program. The pantry started providing products in October 2025.
Today, all families at our partner schools are eligible to use this complimentary service. In the first six months of operation, we’ve delivered hundreds of bags of products, and that number is growing. This support is one more way The Neighborhood Bridge is ensuring families at our partner school feel seen and supported.