Link Match Fills the Gap in Food-insecure Neighborhoods

Link Up Illinois’ Link Match is now available at 28 stores across 20 neighborhoods in Illinois—including some of Chicago’s most food-insecure neighborhoods, such as South Shore, West Englewood, Garfield Park, Douglas, Gage Park, and Austin. 

According to the Chicago Health Atlas, 57.6% of South Shore residents and 63.5% of Englewood residents have limited access to food, meaning they must travel more than half a mile to reach the nearest supermarket. 

This challenge has been worsened by the closures of major grocery stores, including Dominick’s in South Shore in 2013 and Whole Foods in Englewood in 2022. These closures continue to negatively impact both communities, leaving residents with limited options for fresh produce and often forcing families to travel long distances or rely on nearby stores with less nutritious options.

For that reason, the neighborhoods and stores with which Link Up Illinois partners are not chosen by chance, but rather carefully selected to increase food accessibility in communities struggling with food insecurity. 

Link Up Illinois partners with key local retailers—including South Shore’s Jewel-Osco, and Englewood’s Go Green Community Fresh Market and Morgan Mini Mart—to help close the food access gap. Together, in 2025, these three locations have provided $36,000 in Link Match vouchers to their SNAP customers, making fresh, healthy food significantly more affordable for many residents.

By concentrating efforts where the need is greatest, every dollar invested has a real and immediate impact: each voucher redeemed supports local stores and the SNAP shoppers who rely on them.

For Brenda, a SNAP customer at Morgan Mini Mart, this kind of impact is personal. She said,

“I appreciate this program because it makes fruits and vegetables more affordable and helps stretch my limited budget.”

Each story, like Brenda’s, reminds us that Link Match isn’t just about saving money—it’s about food access and equity. It’s about ensuring that families in South Shore, Englewood, and beyond have consistent access to affordable fresh, healthy food.