Northern Illinois Food Bank

Our Mission:

To provide nutritious food and resources for our neighbors, with dignity, equity and convenience, through partnerships and innovation.

Our Vision:  

For everyone in Northern Illinois to have the food they need to thrive.

Northern Illinois Food Bank services 13 counties.  In that area, 344,273 neighbors (just over 1 in 12) are facing hunger issues.  Of those, 1 in 9 is a child.  You can help solve hunger in Lake County and beyond.  Northern Illinois Food Bank is one of the missions UPC supports through our Joy-sharing program, but did you know there are other ways you can support them?  

Ways you can help:

Food Sort & Pack:

The North Suburban facility has just moved to 13950 W. Business Center Drive in Lake Forest. Much of the donated food Northern Illinois Food Bank distributes needs to be inspected, sorted and packaged before it’s distributed to our hungry neighbors.  Go to Volunteer – Food Sorting & Packing | Northern Illinois Food Bank (solvehungertoday.org) to sign up to help sort & repack donated items.  Volunteers must be at least 8 years old.  

Special Events Committee:

Another way you can help is by volunteering with the Special Events committee.  Special event volunteers assist in planning fundraising events, soliciting sponsorship or auction items, or providing day of event logistic support.  Some of the special events include a golf outing, a 5K run/walk and a dining event featuring a silent auction.  

Mobile Pantry and Pop-Up Markets:

The Mobile Pantry is a “traveling food pantry” that delivers meat, produce, non-perishable food and other products to communities where the need for food surpasses the capacity of existing food pantry resources. Volunteers at the Mobile Pantry assist in distributing food to our hungry neighbors.  Pop-Up Markets are similar to a mobile pantry distribution but can serve 1,000 to 2,000 families.

To learn more or register to help, go to solvehungertoday.org/volunteer-opportunities.