Regional Food Bank Keeps Local Agencies Afloat In Difficult Times

JOLIET, IL — As area food pantries and shelters contemplate how they will remain open and continue to provide food to those in need, the parent organization that provides those agencies with much of the goods they deliver also finds itself dealing with its own issues. The Northern Illinois Food Bank, which serves 13 counties across the region and provides food to 900 agencies such as soup kitchens, shelters and food pantries, continues to contend with unprecedented obstacles due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The food bank, which operates four regional centers (including one at 171 S. Larkin Ave. in Joliet) has experienced dramatic declines in retail contributions and has seen the manufacturing chain disrupted following a year in 2019 when, of the 80 million pounds of food the organization took in, 65 million pounds were donated by retailers and manufacturers.

The challenges associated with the coronavirus crisis come at a time when the Food Bank saw one of its centers in Rockford experience a 60 percent increase in requests for assistance just last week at a time when unemployment is up 30 percent across the country and when one in five American families has experienced either a layoff or a dramatic cutback in hours. While the center in Rockford typically serves 700 families per week, that number rose to 1,150 last week alone. In addition to servicing local agencies, the food bank and its four regional centers also provides groceries to neighbors who can't otherwise afford them.

Yet for a disaster relief organization that is accustomed to providing assistance in great times of need, the combination of the health and economic crisis the country is currently experiencing is like nothing like officials have ever witnessed before.

"Every day there is the disaster of hunger in a typical time," Julie Yurko, the food bank's president and CEO said on Wednesday. "And now we're seeing this hit and the need is increasing and the fact it is increasing across our entire globe all at the same time is absolutely overwhelming."

As the pandemic continues to grow across the country and the world, Yurko and the rest of her team continue to strategize how they can assist food pantries and other providers across Northern Illinois remain open and serving their communities. Each day, the food bank sends 35 trucks on the road to get food to community agencies that, in turn, provide food and other products to those who need it most. But as requests for assistance rise while contributions have taken a hit, Yurko faces a proverbial chess game of how to best allocate what the food bank does have to distribute without knowing when donations from grocery stores and other manufactures will return to normal.

At the same time, she has experienced the compassion and kindness of local residents, who have either donated financially or been willing to volunteer at the food bank's four centers by giving their time to sort and repack food. Because the food bank is considered an essential operation by the government while Illinois remains under a Shelter in Place order, its centers remain open, which increases the need for volunteers. Financially, every dollar donated to the food bank covers $8 worth of groceries for residents who may be struggling to afford groceries and other necessities on their own.

Despite the challenges, Yurko is committed to maintaining the food bank's mission without knowing when life will return to some sense of normalcy. But unlike other tragedies such as floods or tornadoes the food bank has assisted in providing relief for in the past, this challenge seems much bigger.

"We've never seen anything like this before," Yurko said. "That type of disruption, we have not seen before — we are moving, we are pivoting every day and figuring out how we can be most impactful, most effective and most compassion at this time."

Anyone interested in volunteering or making a financial donation can find more information on Northern Illinois Food Bank's website at solvehungertoday.org. Those needing food assistance can find resources at solvehungertoday.org/gethelp or call 844-600-SNAP—operators are able to answer calls seven days a week.