Healthcare's New Prescription: A $5M Bet on Food to Heal a Region

EVANSTON, IL – December 10, 2025 – In a move that signals a profound shift in the intersection of healthcare and community welfare, Endeavor Health has awarded a landmark $5 million grant to Loaves & Fishes Community Services. The five-year investment, the first of its kind from the health system’s Community Investment Fund (CIF), is not merely a donation; it’s a strategic intervention designed to fortify the Chicago region’s charitable food system against a looming crisis.

As federal support systems brace for unprecedented cuts, this partnership represents a forward-thinking blueprint for how private and non-profit sectors can collaborate to address the social drivers of health, moving beyond reactive treatment to build a more resilient and nourished community from the ground up.

A Looming Crisis and a Local Lifeline

The timing of Endeavor Health's inaugural CIF Impact Award is critically important. It arrives as a storm gathers on the horizon for hundreds of thousands of Illinois families. Sweeping federal legislation, enacted in mid-2025, is set to drastically curtail eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid. New, stringent work requirements are projected to put an estimated 470,000 Illinois residents at risk of losing their food assistance benefits, a safety net that has become increasingly vital amid soaring grocery prices.

The Greater Chicago Food Depository’s 2025 Hunger Report paints a stark picture, with one in four people in the region already facing food insecurity and pantry visits up 48% in recent years. The impending federal cuts are expected to pour gasoline on this fire, placing immense pressure on local food banks and pantries to fill a rapidly widening gap. These organizations are not only facing a surge in demand but also a potential reduction in their own federal support, forcing them to source and distribute more food with fewer resources.

It is within this volatile landscape that the $5 million commitment—$1 million per year for five years—acts as a crucial bulwark. "Access to nutritious food is foundational to health, yet many families in our region still struggle to find it consistently," said Kristen Murtos, Chief Innovation and Transformation Officer of Endeavor Health. "Through their innovative hub-and-spoke model and deep community partnerships, Loaves & Fishes is expanding access to healthy food in neighborhoods where the need is greatest."

Innovating the Food System: The Hub-and-Spoke Blueprint

At the heart of this investment is a proven and powerful logistical innovation: Loaves & Fishes' hub-and-spoke distribution model. Since its inception, the model has already reduced the cost of serving each client by 40%, demonstrating a scalable and efficient approach to hunger relief. The system is anchored by a central distribution hub in Aurora, which acts as the nerve center for receiving, sorting, and packing food. From there, provisions are dispatched to a network of thirteen "spokes"—satellite pantries, mobile markets, and pickup points strategically placed across DuPage, Will, Kane, and Kendall counties.

The new funding will fuel "Hub 2.0," a transformative expansion of this central facility. The project will add 32,000 square feet, doubling the hub's overall space and, most critically, quadrupling its cold storage capacity. This enhancement is vital for increasing the availability of the very foods that are most impactful to health but most challenging to store and distribute: fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, and proteins.

This infrastructure investment moves beyond simply providing more calories. It is a targeted effort to improve the quality of food available to those in need, directly addressing the nutritional deficits that drive poor health outcomes. By dramatically increasing its capacity to handle fresh produce, Loaves & Fishes can better serve the more than 10,000 people it already helps each week and prepare to meet the rising tide of need.

Beyond Charity: A New Model for Regional Collaboration

The vision for Hub 2.0 extends beyond the growth of a single organization. The expansion is designed to create a collaborative ecosystem for the entire region's hunger relief network. A key component of the plan involves offering shared storage and shared procurement opportunities for smaller partner pantries. By providing dedicated, no-cost space and combining purchasing power, Loaves & Fishes can help its partners secure lower costs through volume discounts and reduced freight expenses.

This collaborative infrastructure is a game-changer. It allows smaller, community-embedded pantries to benefit from the scale and efficiency of a larger operation without losing their local focus and autonomy. As a result, the entire network becomes more resilient, efficient, and capable of distributing more fresh, healthy food into high-need communities.

"This transformational support will change the trajectory of how families facing food insecurity are served and deepen collaboration with pantries across the region," said Mike Havala, CEO of Loaves & Fishes. "We are grateful for Endeavor's extraordinary partnership and the shared commitment that strengthens our entire community." This shift from a fragmented system of individual pantries to an integrated, collaborative network represents a powerful innovation in social service delivery, creating a model that could be replicated in other regions facing similar challenges.

Prescribing Nutrition: Healthcare's Pivot to Prevention

For Endeavor Health, this $5 million investment is not philanthropy; it is a core component of its healthcare mission. The organization is among a growing number of forward-thinking health systems that recognize that a person's health is shaped more by what happens outside clinic walls than inside them. This approach, often termed "food is medicine," acknowledges the direct and powerful link between nutrition and health.

Research consistently shows that food insecurity is a major driver of chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension. In the counties served by Loaves & Fishes, food insecurity rates range from 7.6% to over 10%, with disproportionate impacts on communities of color. This lack of consistent access to healthy food is linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety, as well as increased use of costly emergency room services, placing a significant strain on the healthcare system.

By investing in the food distribution infrastructure, Endeavor Health is making a strategic bet on prevention. Ensuring families have reliable access to fresh, healthy food is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of chronic disease and lower long-term healthcare costs. Since launching its CIF in 2022, the health system has awarded $31.2 million to 54 local partnerships, demonstrating a sustained commitment to addressing the root causes of poor health.

This partnership moves beyond the traditional roles of healthcare provider and social service agency, forging a new, integrated approach to community well-being. It is a recognition that building a healthier future requires investing not only in hospitals and clinics, but in the fundamental building blocks of a healthy life, starting with the food on the table.