Displaced by Development: The Pilsen Food Pantry
Location
Poster #22
Start Date
1-5-2026 10:00 AM
Department
Sociology
Abstract
When a community loses a meaningful place, the damage goes far beyond the physical. Displacement fractures social networks, erodes shared identity, and cuts off access to vital resources. When a neighborhood park disappears, where do children play; and where do neighbors gather? A place is not just location; it is created through the people, relationships, and everyday experiences that give it meaning (Chen et al. 2018). The story of the Pilsen Food Pantry (PFP) in Chicago illustrates this clearly. Founded in 2018 in a vacant church, PFP was more than a food distribution site; it was a hub of social connection for longtime residents and newly arrived migrants. As gentrification intensified, the pantry was forced to relocate after its founders’ bid to purchase the building was rejected, prioritizing market value over community need (Chen et al., 2018; Paynter, 2011; Small, 2006). PFP’s displacement reveals how profit-driven redevelopment restricts access to essential services and weakens neighborhood cohesion. Zoning disparities and the sale of culturally significant properties further expose how structural forces push out long-standing residents while making way for wealthier newcomers, deepening inequality under the guise of progress (Curran 2018; Paynter, 2011). When community anchors like PFP are displaced, the effects ripple outward, disrupting relationships, diminishing trust, and undermining long-term resilience. Protecting these spaces requires sustained, collective action rooted in housing justice, equitable development, and mutual aid. Safeguarding these community anchors keeps neighborhoods resilient, equitable, and rooted in collective well-being, demonstrating that community-centered development isn’t optional, it’s essential.
Faculty Sponsor
Juan Martinez
Displaced by Development: The Pilsen Food Pantry
Poster #22
When a community loses a meaningful place, the damage goes far beyond the physical. Displacement fractures social networks, erodes shared identity, and cuts off access to vital resources. When a neighborhood park disappears, where do children play; and where do neighbors gather? A place is not just location; it is created through the people, relationships, and everyday experiences that give it meaning (Chen et al. 2018). The story of the Pilsen Food Pantry (PFP) in Chicago illustrates this clearly. Founded in 2018 in a vacant church, PFP was more than a food distribution site; it was a hub of social connection for longtime residents and newly arrived migrants. As gentrification intensified, the pantry was forced to relocate after its founders’ bid to purchase the building was rejected, prioritizing market value over community need (Chen et al., 2018; Paynter, 2011; Small, 2006). PFP’s displacement reveals how profit-driven redevelopment restricts access to essential services and weakens neighborhood cohesion. Zoning disparities and the sale of culturally significant properties further expose how structural forces push out long-standing residents while making way for wealthier newcomers, deepening inequality under the guise of progress (Curran 2018; Paynter, 2011). When community anchors like PFP are displaced, the effects ripple outward, disrupting relationships, diminishing trust, and undermining long-term resilience. Protecting these spaces requires sustained, collective action rooted in housing justice, equitable development, and mutual aid. Safeguarding these community anchors keeps neighborhoods resilient, equitable, and rooted in collective well-being, demonstrating that community-centered development isn’t optional, it’s essential.