Eastern Illinois Foodbank (EIF) today announced a $22,500 grant from The Hershey Company to help combat child hunger. Funds from the grant will be used to fund four of Eastern Illinois Foodbank’s foodmobiles in Vermilion County, a system of mobile food pantries designed to increase access to nutritious food for residents in rural and under-served communities. On average, each Vermilion County foodmobile delivers more than 6,000 pounds of food to 200 households facing food insecurity, including 120 children. The grant was made available through Feeding America, the nation’s network of more than 200 food banks.
Funding for the program has come at a critical time for individuals and families in the area. “Of the people facing food insecurity in Vermilion County, one in three are children,” said Kelly Daly, President and CEO of Eastern Illinois Foodbank. “Our Foodmobile Program is one of the ways we can help families and children get the nutritious food they need to thrive.”
There are currently more than 5,500 children in Vermilion County living with food insecurity per the latest projections from Feeding America. Support from The Hershey Company ensures families and individuals facing hunger have a place to turn for help.
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About Eastern Illinois Foodbank
Eastern Illinois Foodbank works to alleviate hunger in eastern Illinois through cooperation with a network of food pantries, agencies and other programs. The Foodbank distributes donated and discounted food throughout an 18-county service area in cooperation with more than 170 member agencies and programs. Through these agencies, the Foodbank provides meals to more than 100,000 men, women and children each year. The Eastern Illinois Foodbank is a member of Feeding America, Feeding Illinois, the United Way of Coles County, and the United Way of Champaign County.
About The Hershey Company
Since 2015, The Hershey Company has partnered with Feeding America to provide nutritious food to kids during out of school hours, so every child can focus on being a kid – learning, playing, socializing, and meeting their full potential.
