by Terri DeeIllinois News Connection
While the holiday feast is plentiful for many, some people fear a lack of food access leaves them with little to celebrate.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced last week that food providers in predominantly rural, remote and underserved communities in Illinois and nationwide will receive an additional $500 million to purchase fruits, vegetables, and nuts to stock their pantries.
USDA Undersecretary Jennifer Moffitt said the state will receive millions.
"For Illinois," said Moffitt, "$28 million is going to the state of Illinois and will be distributed by the Illinois Department of Agriculture."
The $500 million is in addition to $1.5 billion in funding since 2022 for emergency food providers nationwide.
Moffitt said the funding is about connecting farmers and food with the Emergency Food Network to bring that product to local communities.
This will enable farmers to sell their products at a good price to food banks and pantries, grocery stores and restaurants.
According to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, around 12% of Illinois households faced food insecurity between 2021 and 2023.
The Northern Illinois Food Bank echoes the status of food pantries around the country. The need is growing, but supplies are not keeping up with the demand.
Food Bank Director of Media Relations Katie Herity said the organization is serving a record number of neighbors, so the USDA grant will help significantly.
"Last year, we served 90 million meals throughout our service area, which is 13 counties in rural and suburban northern Illinois," said Herity. "Donations have slowed down, and so we continue to reach out to help raise awareness and welcome all food donations."
Herity claimed that after the pandemic, the number of donations slowed but the number of neighbors reaching out for help increased - serving double the pre-pandemic level.
She said volunteers are crucial to the food bank's daily operations in helping food distribution.
