CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MARCH 26: An aerial from a drone shows Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, which, like all Major League Baseball (MLB) parks sits nearly empty on what was to be opening day for MLB on March 26, 2020 in Chicago, Illinois. Major League Baseball has postponed the start of its season indefinitely due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

CHICAGO – Without any sports to host, venues are finding a new and important purpose during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The United Center has been up and running as a logistics hub for the past few weeks, with boxes filling up a floor on which the Bulls and Blackhawks would normally compete on at this time of the year.

Wrigley Field would be in the first month of hosting games for the Cubs during the 2020 season, but due to the pandemic, it sits empty as the middle of April approaches.

But that won’t be the case for long, as the “Friendly Confines” will prove to be just that for a few organizations in town.

Like the United Center, Wrigley Field will now be used for COVID-19 Response efforts. @LakeviewPantry will use the concourse for food packing and distribution. @hotelzachary as a place for Advocate Illinois Masonical Medical Center workers to stay during the pandemic. @WGNNews pic.twitter.com/aU41oVuOOq — Larry Hawley (@HawleySports) April 14, 2020

On Tuesday, the Cubs announce that Wrigley Field along with neighboring Hotel Zachary will be used in the local COVID-19 response efforts over the coming weeks or months.

The concourse of the ballpark will be used as food packing and distribution distribution center for Lakeview Pantry. This effort will start this week and take place every Monday-Saturday from 9 AM to 4 PM for the foreseeable future.

This Saturday, the pantry will begin distribution services at Wrigley Field and will continue every Tuesday and Saturday until further notice.

As for Hotel Zachary, it will serve as a host for health care workers from now until April 30th for health care workers at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Each worker will keep the same room the entire time and be allowed to have food delivered to the hotel.

Those working to maintaining the hotel for the workers will follow social distancing rules while also wearing Personal Protective Equipment while performing duties.