Feeding Illinois

Feeding Illinois’ purpose is to provide food for hungry people in Illinois, to advocate for policies that reduce hunger, and to educate the public about the vital role food banks play in addressing hunger.

Feeding Illinois’ eight member food banks work through a network of member agencies, community partners and corporate and government partners. Together, we are bigger, better, stronger and more efficient than the sum of our parts. Working as a cohesive system is the only way we can truly solve the hunger crisis.

Feeding Illinois is a highly-efficient organization of food banks—95 percent of our budgets go directly to feeding programs.

What we do

Acquire food: Food and grocery products are donated by local food manufacturers, government agencies, food drives, and Feeding America and through our food recovery programs working with local restaurants and grocery stores. Food banks also purchase food with donated funds.

Safely Handle, Store and Distribute Food: Once the food bank receives a shipment of food, it inspects for quality, cleans the product, sorts and re-packs the food and grocery products for distribution to member agencies.

Build and support a distribution network: Food banks recruit, train, monitor and support a network of 2,000 member food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters.

Distribute food to partner feeding programs and hungry people: Partner feeding programs such as shelters, pantries and soup kitchens order from product lists. Most food is delivered but some agencies pick up their food. Food banks also distribute food directly to hungry people in hard to serve areas using methods such as mobile pantries, school based pantries and food fairs.

Respond to Emergencies: Food banks are a critical part of the national emergency response network. They have the relationships, expertise and equipment to mobilize and provide on-the-ground services during states of emergencies such as flooding, tornados, and hurricanes. We provide emergency food boxes to crisis centers and first responders so that food is available in an emergency situation when a pantry is unavailable.

Conduct research, advocacy and outreach: Food banks organize and participate in research initiatives. They advocate for policies that are aligned with best practices and the needs of emergency food network clients. They build support for efforts to reduce hunger and build networks of private, public, philanthropic and non-profit partners dedicated to working together to end to hunger.

Innovative: Food banks also develop and participate in other programs that address hunger, nutrition and poverty such as Back pack programs, Kid's Cafés, Senior Boxes and Supper Clubs. These programs provide nutritious food to children when they are not in school and seniors at their residences. They also conduct SNAP Outreach which connects families in crisis with additional food benefits to help stabilize them.

Feeding Illinois Numbers at a Glance

1.4 million people served each year (one in ten Illinoisans)

Each week 265,100 hungry men, women and children receive emergency food assistance from Feeding Illinois food banks.

109 million pounds of food to hungry families and individuals in Illinois

In the last year, facing a dire economic situation in the state, the members of Feeding Illinois increased the number of pounds of nutritious food it is delivering throughout the state by 29%.

2,000 community agency partners

Feeding Illinois distributes food in partnership with its many community agency partners throughout the state such as food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters. To locate a partner agency go to “Need Food.”

42% of those we serve are children

Almost 42 percent of those in need of food and meals provided by food banks are children under the age of 18. In a statewide study, Hunger in America 2010: Illinois State Report, 30% of our clients reported that their children did not get enough to eat because they could not afford food — 20% said their children were forced to skip meals.

31% of households turning to food banks receive social security

Seniors and the disabled on fixed incomes often have limited or no resources for food once housing and medical expenses come out of their monthly income. This is a growing demographic served by food banks.

38% of those served are the "working poor"

Thirty-eight percent of households include at least one employed adult and 28 percent of households report that their main source of income is from a job.

14% of the unemployed served have been unemployed for less than 6 months

The newly unemployed are showing up at our agencies as well, many for the first time. Fourteen percent of the unemployed we serve have been unemployed for less than six months.

177,000 Volunteer Hours Annually

Together the members of Feeding Illinois are fortunate to have many dedicated volunteers who make the food bank system work. If equated into salaries, this number would be very cumbersome financially on already over-burdened food bank budgets.

Contact us.