Overcoming Food Insecurity with the Help of a Food Bank
“I was a single mom. I was working full-time but still not making enough. It was either food or bills.”
Ellen Croce is a volunteer and former client of the HCS Pantry in Hinsdale, Illinois. Her story is one of resilience and hope in the face of food insecurity. When Ellen first started using the food pantry, she was a single mother struggling to make ends meet. She had two young daughters, one of whom had a heart transplant at the age of two. Despite working full-time, Ellen found it difficult to provide enough food for her family.
Ellen’s situation is not uncommon. Many families in the United States struggle with food insecurity, defined as a lack of consistent access to enough food for an active, healthy life. In fact, the Northern Illinois Food Bank, which partners with HCS Pantry, estimates that over 800,000 people in its service area face food insecurity.
Finding Community at the Pantry
Ellen’s experience with the food pantry was life-changing. Despite feeling humiliated and depressed at first, she found that the staff and volunteers treated her with respect and kindness. “They treat you like you’re human,” Ellen says. “They treat you like, ‘Thank you so much for coming in today.’ That is a huge thing for somebody’s confidence for raising children. For me to know that I could take care of my children, and there are people that are not judging you. That’s huge.”
Neighbor, Volunteer, and Partner
Ellen’s experience with the food bank not only gave her the confidence to provide for her family but also inspired her to give back to her community. As she explains, “As well as being helped, I needed to help.” Ellen became a volunteer at the HCS Pantry and helped open a new food pantry in Willowbrook. She credits the food bank with giving her the self-confidence to move forward and help others. “Donors and volunteers are so much more important than they think they are,” she says. “Please keep doing it. Please share it with your family and your friends. Invite them to come and help. Invite them to be a part of being this place that helps our neighbors.”
Neighbors. Empowered.
Ellen’s story is a testament to the power of food banks and the importance of supporting them. Donors and volunteers play a crucial role in providing food and resources to families like Ellen’s. As Ellen says, “Donors and volunteers are so much more important than they think they are. They are amazing people who give their time, their money sometimes, the food. Please keep doing it. Please share it with your family and your friends. Invite them to come and help. Invite them to be a part of being this place that helps our neighbors.”
As we mark the 40th anniversary of the Northern Illinois Food Bank, let’s remember the impact that food banks can have on people’s lives. Let’s continue to support and volunteer at our local food banks and work towards a future where no one has to go hungry.
Volunteer if you can. And keep on donating. It means the world to people.
Healthy Foods – And A Taste of Home
What are you hungry for? Rice cakes and seaweed? Masala marinade? In our diverse communities, our neighbors derive nourishment and cultural connections from a wide variety of foods. Which means, at Northern Illinois Food Bank, we need to make sure the shelves are stocked with foods that are culturally appropriate for all of the neighbors we serve.
So, we do polling. We rely on research and census data. And we invest in communication, education and outreach—encouraging our food pantries to learn more about the cultures they are serving, the holidays they are celebrating, and the foods people are asking for.
Thank goodness for our wonderful partners! One food donor is now helping keep us stocked with rice cakes, seaweed, and fish sauce. Another is supplying chili pods, tofu, and masa flour. And a local produce vendor is supplying delicacies like mangoes, jalapenos, and Mexican squash. Local farmers are even stepping up and growing some amazing new crops!
We don’t all eat the same foods. But we all share a commitment to feeding our neighbors and ending hunger in our communities. The more we stock the shelves with healthy, appropriate, and culturally affirming foods, the more we help make sure no one goes hungry. Thanks for all you do to support our work!
5 Ways You Can Help Save Our Planet
The wonderful modern technology and resources that we know and love has also led to harmful impacts on our planet. Diminishing resources, deforestation, air pollution, water crises and global warming are sadly the reality of our world today. Pollution and environmental destruction have been growing for as long as the human race has been around, but it’s only been in recent years that we’ve really started to take a closer look at our global impact.
A list like this can seem daunting, so how can you make a difference in the world? Reducing your carbon footprint can be as easy as making some small changes that add up to big results. Check out these easy ways you can lessen your environmental impact and help save the earth.
1. Use Less Water
When it comes to using water, the little things make a big difference. Pay attention to how and when you’re using water and find new ways to reduce and reuse. Simple steps like turning the water off when brushing your teeth, taking less shower time and using a front-loading washer can go a long way. And those plastic water bottles? Say good riddance! Take advantage of your own personal reusable water bottle for water and plastic conservation.
2. Walk Instead of Drive
According to the EPA, a typical passenger vehicle emits about 4.6 metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. If all of us made one small step to take less trips, we would definitely be looking at a healthier planet. If you can, try biking or walking when on your way to work, class or just out and about. Not only do you get some exercise, but you’ll help make the earth a healthier place to live.
3. Use Less Electricity
The burning of substances like coal and natural gas for electrical energy is the most common source of air pollution. You can help change this by reducing dependence on electricity. Take steps like shutting off equipment when not in use, closing air conditioning vents in unused rooms, washing clothes in cold water and turning the lights off whenever you leave a room. Reducing our reliance on electricity also reduces our reliance on unhealthy air pollutants.
4. Buy Local
Buying local goods helps combat air pollution in two ways: you don’t have to travel as far to buy items, and the goods don’t have to travel as far to get to you. Be aware of where to buy products, which helps impact our environmental health. Shop at local farmer’s markets, and buy online from nearby areas, checking to see where products were made. Not only do you help our planet, but you also support the local community!
5. Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
Making a conscious effort to produce less trash helps lessen the production of unsustainable products that will end up in landfills. Go green by using reusable grocery bags, glass containers instead of plastic, reusable dinnerware, rechargeable batteries and using online and computer resources rather than printing out paper. Most importantly, use a recyclable container at home to recycle paper, plastic, cardboard and glass.
When it comes to saving our planet, small steps make a big impact. Every person can make an effort toward reducing their carbon footprint and living a more altruistic lifestyle for the world. Consider what kind of earth you want to leave behind for generations to come. Make steps today and be a force for change in a healthier, happier, world.
5 Unexpected Benefits of Volunteering as a Family
Are you looking for a way to bring your family together? Hoping to find a hobby that can be shared by both the little ones and adults? Volunteering as a family may be just the thing you need. You may know the “feel-good” emotions that come with helping others, but there are even more unexpected ways volunteering will positively affect the whole family:
You’ll feel like you have more time
People often feel they are too busy to volunteer. Yet, the Harvard Business Review found that giving your time to community causes actually makes you feel like you have more of it. Volunteering makes us feel capable and efficient, inspiring us to make the most of each day.
Volunteering has a life-long effect on kids and teenagers
Volunteering during adolescence has been linked to some major positive effects such as improved grades, reduced drug usage, and increased self-esteem. These effects aren’t just short-term but have been proved to affect a teen’s well-being in the years to come.
You can live longer if you volunteer regularly
For adults, volunteering can provide significant physical health benefits. Washington University found that for adults 55 and older who volunteered had better stamina, memory, and maintained overall health longer than others their age. Volunteers are also more likely to look after their own health and are more focused on adding physical activity into their lives.
More time spent with family
Families who volunteer together have the unique experience of working toward a shared goal. You may even learn that your child has a talent or interest you didn’t know about before. Everyone brings something unique to the table and can connect with each other and the community in a new way. And, there are tasks for every age and ability so all your children, whether eight or 18, can feel proud of their work.
You’ll be happier
The University of Texas found in a 2003 study that becoming involved in helping your community lowers rates of depression and anxiety. By volunteering, the entire family can benefit from bettering their mental wellness and alleviating stress.
Save Our Planet and Reduce Food Insecurity … All at the Same Time!
Data show that 1/3 of all food waste is caused by individuals when they eat out or eat at home. Growing and raising food is a very energy and water-intensive project, and discarded food creates greenhouse gases harmful to our environment. Here’s how you can help:
Restaurants
When you sit down, think about the whole meal before you order. Will you want dessert (ask for the dessert menu ahead of time!) And appetizers? And entrees? You can “right-size” your meal. Maybe your party of two orders appetizers, a side vegetable, and a dessert to split. If you are going with a larger group, consider ordering one fewer entree than people.
If you do take food home and eat it for lunch in a day or two (or freeze it and eat it later), then good for you! But how many doggie bags sit in the fridge until it’s time to throw them out?
At Home
The other great place to save is at the grocery store. Here are a few ways you can reduce waste and save money:
Always make a list before you go shopping – that way, you won’t buy food duplicates *and* you will probably spend less money
Store your food properly. Keep your fridge at 40 degrees F or lower.
Serve and eat the most perishable food in the days right after a shopping trip.
Not all perishables are created equal. Apples and oranges keep longer than bananas and avocados, especially in hot weather, so go to the supermarket often or buy some of the sturdier perishables as well as the more delicate fruits and veggies.
Be sure to buy foods that are stored in different ways. If everything you buy is meant for the fridge, your supermarket haul will probably expire faster than it would if you had also purchased shelf-stable items (pasta, nuts, beans) and direct-to-freezer foods.
Moldy food might not be all bad. You can cut mold off of hard cheese and eat the rest.
Make a commitment to eating up your leftovers (maybe you have a weekly Leftover Night.) Or, freeze them immediately in meal-sized containers. If you find yourself dumping them six months later, scale back the amounts you prepare.
4 Ways to Reduce Food Waste at Home
Consumer food waste is a worldwide challenge, but a few habits and changes at home can make a huge difference!
1. Compost your leftovers
Do you have a garden? If not, do you know someone who does? If the answer is yes, composting is a terrific way to use your kitchen scraps! Composting speeds up the decomposition process by providing an ideal environment for organisms such as bacteria, worms and fungi, to do their work. With your food scraps, these organisms will produce compost, a nutrient-rich substance often referred to as “black gold,” which can be sprinkled around your plants. It’s the key to a happy and healthy garden!
2. Use meat bones or vegetable scraps to make a broth
If you have some leftover chicken, beef or pork bones, try making a bone broth! For many years, bone broth has been used in various cultures around the world as a medicinal food. It has many health benefits including its ability to strengthen the kidneys and support digestive health. It’s also a common base for many soups and sauces. All you need to do is drop your bones into a pot and cover it with water. Add a bit of salt to season the broth, along with a couple tablespoons of acid—apple cider vinegar or lemon juice will work—to break down the collagen. Bring the water to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cover your pot and let it cook for at least 10-12 hours. Once it has reduced by about a third, you can strain and store your broth in the refrigerator or freezer until you’re ready to use it. This works great with vegetable scraps too!
3. Make your own fertilizer
Composting isn’t the only way to create an amazing fertilizer your plants will love while reducing your food waste. You can also make banana peel tea! If you eat lots of bananas, this tip is for you. Save your peels and put them in an air-tight jar filled with water. Let it sit for one to two weeks and use the resulting liquid to water your plants. Your plants will thank you!
4. Freeze food to make it last longer
If you like to cook a lot of food at once, don’t let your leftovers go to waste! Freeze them to prevent spoiling. This works great for soups, sauces, seafood, fruit, meat and even milk. If you tend to buy more than you should, this will help to increase your food’s shelf life, ensuring you get your money’s worth.
A Different Kind of New Year Resolution
Each new year, people worldwide are filled with a newfound optimism in their ability to do better. We see it every January and February – we make resolutions centered around things like losing weight, kicking old habits and taking up new hobbies.
As we come to the end of 2022, many of us are taking time to consider our resolutions with all the good intentions of the new year. No doubt, the typical resolutions of weight loss and healthy eating are great forms of self-improvement. They are full of merit, and it is important for us to take care of our own personal well-being.
However, perhaps this year we can also incorporate resolutions that give back to our community as a whole. Here are three different kinds of resolutions you can make this year to help our neighbors thrive.
1. Teach Our Children about Giving Back
Involve your children in your plans to give back. Organize a community food drive, spend the morning volunteering at our warehouse, or even read them the classic tale of Stone Soup – there are many age-appropriate ways to introduce children of all ages to the concept of kōkua.
A big part of our mission involves keeping our community up-to-date on things like food distributions, volunteer opportunities and emergency preparedness. Tag, like, share, follow – just one click or tap can go a long way in helping our neighbors thrive. #ActionMattersMost #NeighborsEmpowered
Resolution: I will follow Northern Illinois Food Bank and share content to show what I stand for!
3. Join the Mission to Help Our Neighbors Thrive
For many of our donors, recurring gifts are a practical and convenient way to give back. These gifts allow us to focus our resources more on programs and less on raising necessary funds. Just $1 can help provide $8 worth of groceries.
Victoria, a former teacher, and her husband, an electrician, relocated to Illinois with their three young children, ages five, seven and nine. After a client failed to pay her husband for a significant $17,000 project, Victoria and her family found themselves searching for answers.
“I would personally like to thank you [donors and the Northern Illinois Food Bank]. It actually brings tears to my eyes because our family was really struggling. What you’re doing here has not only sustained us food-wise, but it’s also given me hope as someone who didn’t used to be in a position of need. And now I am.”
Victoria is thrilled with the quality and variety of food she found at the Glen Ellyn Pantry, one of the 900 food pantries, soup kitchens and feeding programs in our network.
“Last week, there were avocados. There are tomatoes. This week, there’s cantaloupe. I’m just thanking God that there are these expensive organic fruits and vegetables available to us at our time of need.”
Victoria even found ingredients for a special Valentine’s dinner: “And then I saw that the food pantry had given us all these lovely pork chops with pesto butter.”
As new folks to Illinois, making friends and connecting to people are important to Victoria and her family.
“There are a lot of very gracious folks at this particular pantry. One of the ladies is a realtor and she and I always have excellent conversations. The folks [who] are in charge are just really lovely. And that just really blessed me.”
With three kids in school, Victoria appreciates the school lunch program but finds the summer times more difficult: “The kids in the summer don’t get free lunches at school, so…it’s even harder to make ends meet in the summer.”
Before receiving help from the food pantry, Victoria noted that “we had almost nothing in the refrigerator, and I just didn’t want my kids to experience that. It was tough. And now that we come here, we have enough on a regular basis.”
The food pantry allows Victoria to save money and work toward a new career in nursing after many years of teaching. “I’m a licensed teacher. I’ve worked with kids for about 19 years. I’m pursuing, through the community college, a second career in nursing.” The money Victoria saves by visiting the food pantry she can use to go back to school and pay for other family expenses.
Rising costs have made pursuing career goals more difficult, “The cost of living here going up has really made it challenging to buy food. This [food pantry] really makes it possible for us to pay rent.”
“My husband works full time, and I’ll be going back into the workforce.” But for now, the food pantry helps Victoria and her family make ends meet: “Your generosity is helping people that really are hardworking.”
Janet’s Volunteer Story
When Janet Deisenroth describes her volunteer schedule, she starts with the qualifier “when it’s not golf season.”
That’s because Janet, a 63-year-old retired data analyst, is an avid golfer, and that’s a daytime sport. Her other favorite sport to play, ice hockey, doesn’t interfere with her volunteer schedule as much because her league games are in the evenings. “And I run a women’s league how-to-play hockey group on Sundays,” she adds.
That’s why Janet needs to qualify her schedule. So, in warm months, she “only” volunteers a couple days a week.
In the colder months, you can find Janet on some Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays volunteering in our North Suburban Center in Lake County. Or you might see her at Mobile Markets at College of Lake County, Fox Lake and Waukegan’s Cristo Rey. Sometimes she even helps at special events.
“I like to keep busy, and I think it’s a good cause,” she explains.
Janet’s favorite volunteer job is on Wednesdays as site lead at two distributions for our online food pantry, My Pantry Express. That’s where she gets to interact directly with neighbors, “especially the regulars,” she says. “You kind of get to know them. I enjoy talking to them. You see all that stuff you’re doing when you’re working the warehouse. You see the result and how grateful they are.”
It was a My Pantry Express distribution that created one of her most memorable neighbor interactions. It was about eight months after the hard shutdown of the pandemic in late 2020.
“One day a lady came up. She had become a regular. She said, ‘I’m so sad today.’” Janet asked why she was sad. “‘I got a job so I don’t need to visit you anymore,’ she answered.”
The woman was so excited for her new job and so thankful for all the help she had received. “It really made you feel like standing out in the cold or the heat [at food distributions] was really, really worth it. People are so appreciative, it makes you want to come back next week.”
Did that neighbor stop coming? “I told her that it was OK to keep coming as she got back on her feet. Pay a few bills. You might need some new clothes for this job. Let us help you.”
And that neighbor took the advice, returning to pick up food for a few weeks.
Janet has been a regular volunteer for about six years. Before that she had taken part in corporate volunteer groups about twice a year, and always enjoyed the experience.
After her retirement, when she found herself alone on Saturdays because her husband still worked those days, she recalled that corporate volunteer experience. “It was winter. We retired in January. What else could I pick up?” she wondered. “I remembered that it’s always fun working at the Food Bank.”
Her first volunteer shift after retiring? “I went alone,” she says. “I just went that first time. I walked in not sure what to expect.” And everyone made her feel right at home.
When her oldest grandchild turned 8, Janet starting turning some of that volunteer time into family time, when she would bring him to participate in some volunteer shifts in the warehouse on Saturdays. That was three years ago and now he’s 11.
“Volunteering is something he and I have in common,” Janet says. “I think it’s important they understand that not everyone is as lucky as they are.”
His visits were paused during the pandemic because it would have been difficult for him to social distance – he loves interacting with all the other volunteers, especially some of the regulars whom he’s gotten to know. But their schedule is back to normal now.
Some of the volunteer jobs are not as much fun for him, Janet admits. Recently they processed a batch of onions, discarding any bad ones and bagging the others to give out through food pantries and distributions. “He said, ‘It was really terrible, but I’ll still come back.’ ” Another grandson tells Janet that he can’t wait for his turn to volunteer, when he turns eight. He’s five now. She says maybe, someday, all five of her grandchildren will be able to volunteer with her. “They are all looking forward to it.”
Cliff’s Neighbor Staff Story
When Cliff Gillette started volunteering with us 14 years ago, he never thought it would shape so much of his retirement, let alone become a family affair.
Now, the 77-year-old widower works full-time as a lead “SNAP-per” for the Food Bank, helping neighbors across Northern Illinois navigate their way out of food insecurity by connecting them with food pantries and aid agencies, and guiding them through the application process for state benefits such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – SNAP.
Cliff likes to draw on a movie analogy to explain his job. “Do you remember the scene in Forrest Gump when he is sitting on a park bench with a box of chocolates?” Cliff stresses that his movie analogy is not meant to be trivial. Each experience with each neighbor is so drastically different, he says, and everyone needs support in different ways. “Every call I get is the box of chocolates sitting in front of me. And I never know what I’ll get.”
Cliff works remotely and divides his time between his home in Rockford and his daughter’s home in Ohio. All he needs to do his job is his computer and a secure internet connection – along with patience and a strong sense of empathy.
Cliff confesses that earlier in life when he worked as a retail manager, he thought that all a person needed to support themselves and their family was a job. Then he started volunteering at our center in Rockford and his view completely changed.
“The Food Bank was one of my really first volunteer [experiences] I’d ever done in my life,” Cliff says. “When I started working with the Food Bank the intensity was so impressive.”
Cliff took a part-time position with our newly formed SNAP team then, and said that interacting with neighbors who needed help really changed his perspective as he learned all the different reasons someone might need food assistance.
He remembers meeting a senior couple who had worked all their lives. They both received Social Security, but found themselves having to stretch their budget as they tried to decide between paying for medicine or food. “There are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people out there in these situations,” Cliff says.
He took several years off from working with the Food Bank, returning to full-time employment, then officially retiring, which is when his wife fell ill, ultimately passing a year later.
He describes her illness and his following grief as “adjusting to his wife’s journey,” adding, “I took several years to do that before I came back to the Food Bank.”
And here is where Cliff’s story takes a twist.
Cliff had introduced his son, Chris (who had a background in restaurants) to food banking all those years ago in Rockford. But while Cliff took time off in his retirement, Chris worked at a food bank in South Carolina. But life works in mysterious ways and both Gillettes found themselves starting work here at Northern Illinois Food Bank in 2019. Chris now directs the operations team at our West Suburban Center in Geneva.
“Like me, he got infected,” Cliff jokes, admitting that there probably aren’t many father-son duos working in food banking.
Cliff’s life experience and dedication have made him known within the Food Bank as someone who goes beyond the call to ensure our neighbors know about the services we provide.
He will work with them through the SNAP application process. The online application is 17 pages, Cliff says, and can be complicated, needing follow-up information. “We’re here for you at the beginning. And we are here for you on the other side,” he says, then adds with emphasis, “We don’t make the decisions.”
“Even when we can’t help them get SNAP benefits because of income guidelines, we can find other ways to help them,” he says. “We still do agency outreach and we connect with agencies a lot.” Those agencies include food pantries, soup kitchens, senior and child services, and more.
His advice to anyone who needs assistance, but isn’t sure they qualify for SNAP: “Call us. We will figure something out to help. Just call us.”
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