With grocery costs notably greater in the heart of campus, two University of Illinois programs are dedicated to providing food assistance to students in…
Over the last five years, the poverty rate in Champaign County has fallen, but the number of people seeking food assistance has steadily risen,…
Eastern Illinois Foodbank
The nonprofit organization Feeding America has projected Champaign County’s food insecurity rate to increase by 31% by the end of 2020 in comparison to data collected in 2018. Feeding America is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that feed more than 46 million people through food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and other community-based agencies.
Naomi Diaz
Pre-pandemic, Eastern Illinois Foodbank provided food and grocery products to 100,000 people in 18 different Eastern counties in Illinois. Today, they project the number of those in need to increase by 63,000. The foodbank expects the second wave of COVID-19 will continue to increase the need for “emergency food,” and they are preparing for just that.
Lierman Neighborhood Community Garden - Facebook
A community garden in one Urbana neighborhood has helped its residents overcome two prevailing issues: crime and food insecurity.