Other Food Programs

Food Boxes for Seniors in Need

Northern Illinois Food Bank’s Senior Food Box Program provides nutritious easy-to-prepare foods to seniors who are capable of cooking, but lack access to food due to financial or physical challenges. Each box contains nutritious items, such as shelf stable milk, juice, beans, canned fruits and vegetables, pasta, and pasta sauce.  The food bank partners with senior associations and housing facilities to provide these boxes free of charge to seniors in need.  In Fiscal Year 2011, Northern Illinois Food Bank provided such boxes to a total of approximately 400 seniors each month at eight different sites. With the increasing number of seniors living on fixed incomes, this program continues to grow as we enter Fiscal Year 2012. The Senior Food Box Program is entirely funded through corporate and foundation donations.  To donate to this program, contact Hester Bury, 630-443-6910, ext. 124.

Holiday Meal Box Program

Northern Illinois Food Bank's Annual Holiday Meal Box Program delivers all the fixings for a traditional family meal to a family of eight, including a 12-14 pound turkey, stuffing, potatoes, vegetables and dessert. During the holiday season - the Season of Giving- our hungry neighbors too often struggle to put any food on the table, let alone a special holiday meal. NIFB works very hard to help its agency network provide this to those who need it most. These boxes are sponsored by donations from individuals, companies, and community groups.

The Holiday Meal Box Program 2010 was generously sponsored in part by the Sara Lee Foundation. Support from these Holiday Meal Box Partners also made the program possible: Jewel-Osco, Del Monte, Kraft Foods, Ocean Spray, and The J.M. Smucker Company.

Since its inception in 1999, NIFB's Holiday Meal Box Program has continued to grow. In it's first year, the program helped 3,500 area families to enjoy a brighter holiday. In 2005, the program reached nearly 12,800 families. The program has now more than doubled in size - with approximately 28,000 families helped during the 2010 Holiday Season!

Give the gift of love and hope this holiday season by making a generous donation to the Holiday Meal Box program.

Click here to donate to NIFB's Holiday Meal Box Program.

To get more information on how you can sponsor a box for a family, volunteer, or to learn more about NIFB please call 630.443.6910.