Financial disparities in Cook County are almost double national average, study finds

Volunteer Kim Gnat helps Kathy Concepcion, 64, pick out groceries at the Nourishing Hope food pantry held at La Casa Norte in Humboldt Park. Leaders at the pantry say that demand for groceries in the heavily Latino area has doubled over the past year, a reflection of the financial divides that pervade Cook County, according to a new study. (Ashlee Rezin/Sun-Times)

On weekends, Kathy Concepcion fixes big pots of spaghetti, ravioli, whatever her grandkids want— only lately “Lulu,” as they call her, has been stretched thinner than angel hair.

Between the price of rent, the rising cost of utilities and grocery bills, she has had to start going to a nearby food pantry.