Local Hospitals To Continue Mobile Food Pantries In 2021 In Partnership With The Northern Illinois Food Bank
Kankakee, IL The need for food and supplies continues to increase as food pantries nationwide are reporting higher numbers in requests during the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, both hospitals in the City of Kankakee partnered with the Northern Illinois Food Bank to host a mobile food pantry once a month in the community. The pantry provides fresh produce, milk, eggs and more. New dates have been released for 2021.
AMITA Health St. Marys Hospital kicked off their first mobile food pantry last week on the West side of Kankakee.
Access to healthy food continues to be a need in Kankakee County, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our mobile event serves on average 200 households per month and we continue to see the success of this program in our community resulting with multiple attendees participating in our free Screen and Intervene program. This program focuses on managing chronic diseases, educating on the management program and also on how eating healthy impacts these diseases, said Kathy Peterson, Executive Director of Community Development for AMITA Health St. Marys Hospital.
Riverside Healthcare teamed up to host their mobile food pantry on the East side of Kankakee. Their first event for the year will be held on Thursday, January 28, 2021 from 3:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m. at the City Life Center located at 1820 East Court Street.
- Thursday, January 28, 2021
- Thursday, June 24, 2021
- Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Do I Need To Bring Anything To The Pop
No, our Pop-Up Markets are designed to make it safe and easy for our neighbors to receive food during this time. Just come to the pop-up in a vehicle, with some space for our staff to place the pre-packed boxes and bags of groceries. You do not need to bring your own boxes or bags, as the groceries will be already packed in bags and boxes for you.
You also do not have to bring any form of ID or documentation to prove your households need.
Food For Friends Grayslake
Were looking for volunteers to help register, distribute food, and pray for families in need. Christ Church Vernon Hills is partnering with Food For Friends to deliver nutritious food directly to people in need for assistance. Food is distributed at no charge on a first come, first served basis to the first 150 families.
Food For Friends is a Chicago-based Christian Ministry that offers hands-on opportunities to provide food and reach the souls of those in need. Learn more here
The following dates from 10:00-11:30 a.m. at Christ Church Crossroads
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An Updated Guide To Visiting A Food Pantry: Myths & Facts
The decision to reach out for assistance with groceries or other expenses can be a difficult one. There are common misconceptions about how the charitable food network works, and a stigma surrounding pantries and soup kitchens, so many of our neighbors do not seek the assistance they need and thats something our Food Bank and network of partners works to change.
The pandemic has impacted many members of our community, and while were excited and hopeful that things are looking up, we will always continue to be a resource for ANY neighbor who needs a little extra help at ANY time. Because the past year has brought so much change, we hope reviewing some myths and facts surrounding food pantries may help provide clarity, and encourage our neighbors to visit our network of over 900 pantries, soup kitchens, and feeding sites.
Myth #1: Pantries service hours have been reduced or suspended entirely because of COVID-19.
Fact: Many pantries have been able to continue serving their communities during the pandemic. Due to additional safety and health precautions taken, many pantries are still able to operate. However, some pantries may have changed the time and dates they are open. We encourage anyone interested in visiting their local pantry to call ahead of time to confirm hours, or ask additional questions about operations and safety precautions.
Myth #2: Pantries are unable to distribute groceries at this time because they operate indoors.
Northern Illinois Food Bank Pop
JJC is proud to team with the Northern Illinois Food Bank to offer a place for students and community members to drive through to receive groceries. Anyone in need of food assistance during this uncertain time is welcome to attend. No identification or proof of address or income is required to receive food.
The pop-up markets take place on the following Saturdays in Parking Lot E3 on JJC’s Main Campus, 1215 Houbolt Road in Joliet.
Dates:
JJC Police will be directing traffic during this time to guide you through the market. Visitors arriving for the market should enter through the college’s main entrance off Houbolt Rd.
While JJC Campus Police will be onsite directing traffic, it is recommended that:
- Employees and other visitors seeking to conduct college business enter through Centennial Drive.
- Visitors arriving for the market enter through the main entrance off of Houbolt Rd.
In the event of inclement weather a Pop-Up Market may be cancelled. It will be decided by 3 p.m. the day prior to the distribution.
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What We Aim To Solve
Northern Illinois Food Bank’s Strategic Plan: UNITE plan builds on the success of our 2020 plan, incorporates the experiences of human-centered design, and acknowledges that food insecurity disproportionately impacts some neighbors because of systemic inequities including the challenges of racism that have been highlighted prominently in recent civil unrest. Our overall goal is to reach 90% of food insecure neighbors within our 13 counties by 2025. To accomplish this, we will invest in empowering our neighbors, engaging our network, enhancing the food supply, evolving the Food Bank, all while embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion for all.
Can I Get Food For A Family Member Neighbor Or Friend Who Cant Get There
Yes. We know that there are many of our neighbors unable to go out in public at this time for a variety of reasons. If you are picking up for another family, please let our volunteers know how many households you are there to pick up for during the intake process
Get Food
For more information about location-specific mobile food pantry dates, senior or veteran mobile pantry dates, please contact or call 443-6910 ext. 264.
Give Food
If youd like to help the Food Bank provide more food to more people through programs like the Mobile Pantry, to make a donation, or more information about how to sponsor a Mobile Market distribution, please contact or call 443-6910 ext. 264.
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Support The Mpx Program
This pilot program is growing quickly and making an impact our communities that are most in-need. We need our donors and volunteers to help us grow this program as were on target to provide 1 million meals in the first year of the pilot alone!
Donate now to support our mission, including the My Pantry Express program.
Mobile Pantries Hit The Road To Help Families In Need
Every week the Northern Illinois Food Bank is partners with churches, schools and community centers for their Mobile Food Pantries to help those in need.
CRETE, Ill. — Every week the Northern Illinois Food Bank partners with churches, schools and community centers to provide food for those in need with their Mobile Pantries.
One local church in south suburban Crete, Faith Movers Church, serves hundreds of people each week.
“It means so much, usually we start about 4 o’clock but literally at 10 a.m. we have people in our parking lot waiting to get food, up to about 200 people a week we feed. It’s a tremendous blessing and we have people calling throughout the week calling and asking if we are going to be here so it’s just a blessing,” said Pastor Moses Herring.
Faith Movers started their official partnership with Northern Illinois Food Pantry in March and since then they have distributed nearly 150,000 meals.
For participants like Miciah Long, this guarantees her family has the food they need.
“Someone like me I’m in a house of three, me, my mom and my little brother. We do get food but it’s always good to have a little more help just to be sure there is food in the house,” Long said.
The Northern Illinois Food Bank hosts Mobile Pantries across the Chicagoland area every day.
For the Mobile Pantry Calendar,
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Rosecrance To Host Mobile Pantry With Northern Illinois Food Bank 2019
On Thursday, April 25, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., Rosecrance will partner with Northern Illinois Food Bank to host its third mobile pantry event this year at the Rosecrance Ware Center .
The mobile pantry is open to Rosecrance clients and the Rockford community at large. Nutritious meals will be available for 300 families on a first-come, first served basis, while supplies last. Families must bring their own bags or boxes to carry their food.
Northern Illinois Food Bank has two Mobile Pantry trucks which act as traveling food pantries to distribute perishable and non-perishable food directly to hungry neighbors across its 13-county service area of Northern Illinois, which includes Winnebago County.
Our mobile pantry program is so important to the work we do at the Food Bank, says Jennifer Nau, Director of Communications at Northern Illinois Food Bank. Mobile pantries not only allow us to deliver food directly to the highest need areas of our communities, but also provides the healthy, nutritious foods our neighbors need to lead healthy lives.
Rosecrance Recovery Coach Bonnie Gilmore has coordinated each mobile pantry with the Food Bank and the events successes have led to an on-going partnership. Approximately 25-30 Rosecrance staff members will volunteer at this event and pass out food to attendees.
In 2017, the Food Bank held more than 400 mobile pantry distributions, which provided more than 40,000 households with nutritious meals.
How Can I Participate
Get screened to qualify for vouchers Screenings will be held at the Freeport Lincoln Mall starting at 10 a.m.
At your screening, you will receive a Rx Mobile Pantry Program voucher, if you qualify.Each screening is performed by a registered nurse who can explain the results and answer general health questions. Health information is available at each screening.
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Northern Illinois Food Bank
Tell your local friends and neighbors about this opportunity to receive food.
Monday, July 27, 2020, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM
We are excited to announce that on Monday, July 27, Village Bible Church will be hosting the Northern Illinois Food Bank’s mobile food pantry at our Aurora campus. The mobile pantry will have boxes of nonperishable food items along with meat and fresh produce to meet the needs of 250 families.
This event is open to the public and is available for any family who is in need of food. There are NO financial requirements for a family to be able to use the pantry and no form of i.d. is needed. All food provided by the pantry is completely FREE. Food is distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
Please share this information with your local friends and neighbors who may be in need. We are hoping to meet needs within our church family but also extend this opportunity to our community.
Date: Monday, July 27, 2020Time 4:00 pm – 5:30 pmLocation: Village Bible Church, Aurora
*Please bring bags or boxes to package food.
Get Food Assistance Using My Pantry Express
No one should be hungry. We want to ensure that anyone who needs it has free access to the nutritious groceries.
My Pantry Express is an online food pantry developed and operated by Northern Illinois Food Bank in collaboration with community partners. Individuals interested in shopping with My Pantry Express can visit our website to place an online grocery order for pick up or delivery* at no charge. Its easy:
Right now we are piloting this program in select locations across Joliet, Rockford, DeKalb, and the Waukegan and North Chicago area. *Visit the My Pantry Express site to get pick up and delivery information for your area*.
For any general questions about ordering or signing up, visit the My Pantry Express FAQ page.
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Northern Illinois Food Bank’s Mobile Markets Bring Nutritious Food To Local Neighborhoods
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The mobile markets and pop-up markets offered around the suburbs by the Northern Illinois Food Bank help bring nutritious food to those in need.Courtesy of Northern Illinois Food Bank
Leroy was struggling to control his diabetes. His blood sugars were consistently over 200, making him at risk for dangerous long-term effects, such as heart disease and irreversible vision loss and nerve damage.
After an assessment with a community health care clinic, he was connected to Geneva-based Northern Illinois Food Bank’s Rx Mobiles that offer a continuous supply of nutritious foods to patients at risk for chronic health issues, such as diabetes and heart disease. Leroy turned his health around with the help of nutritious foods at an Rx Mobiles.
The Northern Illinois Food Bank in Geneva is bringing nutritious foods to neighborhoods throughout Northern Illinois with Mobile Markets.
Five months after accessing the Rx Mobiles, Leroy’s wife, Jackie, is relieved by the results.
“No more bad food!,” she said. “Now, his blood sugar is normal and he is feeling much better. Both of us are doing great and eating good food.”
His doctor agrees. “Leroy’s diabetes was very uncontrolled when he first came to our clinic, but within five months, we were able to begin significantly cutting down on his insulin use. I believe his access to healthy food played a large role in this improvement,” said Dr. Aubri Rush at Hinsdale Family Medical Clinic.
Do I Need To Get Out Of My Car
No. Neighbors attending will arrive in their vehicles and remain inside during the entire distribution. Staff and volunteers wearing gloves and masks will engage with neighbors through car windows, direct them through the distribution line, and place the groceries inside vehicle trunks or backseats ensuring social distancing and the safety of all attending.
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Do I Need To Come Early And Get In Line
No, you do not need to come early to get in line. In fact, you will wait less and still get the same amount of food if you come an hour into the distribution. If you arrive before the market opens, the first 75 households in line must participate in a lottery for a number and are not guaranteed early entrance into the market. We cannot let you in the building early for any reason, including to use the bathroom.
How To Volunteer:
We offer several volunteer opportunities to help your Rockford neighbors in need:
Sort and pack food in our Rockford distribution center. Sort and shelve food in our Winnebago Community Market food pantry. Distribute food in our parking lot. Distribute food at our Mobile Markets in the Rockford area Perform general office tasks phone calling & data entry
Volunteer Shift Opportunities
Tuesdays: 9:00 AM11:00 AM/ 1:00 PM-3:00PM Wednesdays: 9:00 AM11:00 AM Thursdays: 9:00 PM11:00 PM Fridays: 9:00 PM11:00 PM
Grocery Distribution Shifts
Wednesdays: 12:30 PM-3:00 PM* / 3:30 PM-6:00 PM* Thursdays: 12:30 PM-2:30 PM* / 2:30 PM-5:00 PM* / 5:00PM-7:00 PM* Fridays: 12:30 PM-2:30 PM* / 2:30 PM-5:00 PM* / 5:00PM-7:00 PM* Saturdays: 8:30 AM12:00 PM )drive-up) ** Indicates volunteers will be required to work outside during this distribution
Contact us to volunteer:View all Rockford volunteer opportunities and . You can also call us at 443-6910 and press 2 or email .
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Who We Are
Just as the lives of the people the Food Bank serves and the neighborhoods in which they reside differ, our approach may differ. Northern Illinois Food Bank has developed a comprehensive array of programs and services to bring food assistance to communities and people throughout our thirteen county service area.
Northern Illins Food Bank offers a variety of programs: Child nutrition, food recovery, mobile pantries, SNAP outreach, senior boxes, emergency boxes and holiday meal boxes. Volunteers are able to do a variety of projects, including: sorting, evaluating, cleaning and packaging product prior to distribution in our warehouse assisting with office and clerical tasks or helping with special events. Without the 86,000+ hours of volunteer help each year, NIFB would be unable to distribute 40 million pounds of food annually.
What We Do
Northern Illinois Food Bank is a non-profit organization that engages the community in a commitment to feed our hungry neighbors. Our mission is to lead the northern Illinois community in solving hunger by providing nutritious meals to those in need through innovative programs and partnerships.
Across 13 counties, food manufacturers, local groceries, corporations, foundations, and individuals come together to donate food and funds, and evaluate and repack food for distribution to our 800 network partners programs that serve more than 71,500 different people each week.
Northern Illinois Food Bank serves the following counties: Boone, DuPage, DeKalb, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, Ogle, Stephenson, Will and Winnebago. Our vision is for no one to be hungry in northern Illinois.
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