Community Corner
Kraft Foods Group Foundation grant helps local food pantries feed more hungry neighbors
The Kraft Foods Group Foundation is funding a $100,000 grant being administered by Northern Illinois Food Bank to assist 20 food pantries and feeding programs throughout northern Illinois.
The grants are earmarked for capacity building projects that will allow Food Bank affiliated food pantries and feeding programs to purchase equipment, update technology or use the funds for other needs that will increase the accessibility to food for families and individuals facing hunger in the community.
“Kraft and its Foundation are committed to fighting hunger by increasing access to food in our communities,” said Leah Bradford, Vice President, Kraft Foods Group Foundation. “We are delighted to support Northern Illinois Food Bank as they work to better serve our neighbors in need.”
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“We are incredibly grateful to Kraft Foods Group Foundation for supporting our efforts of solving hunger in northern Illinois,” said Julie Yurko, President and CEO, Northern Illinois Food Bank. “This generous grant is funding a wide variety of projects that will allow our partner food pantries and feeding programs to better serve our hungry neighbors in the 13 counties served by the Food Bank.”
In a competitive grant process, six partner feeding programs received Big Step Grants ranging from $9,500 to $15,000. The purchase of new trucks at Neighborhood Food Pantries and People’s Resource Center in DuPage County, a parking lot expansion at Kendall County Food Pantry and the construction of a walk-in freezer/cooler at St. John Lutheran Food Pantry in Will County are among the projects being partially funded through Big Step Grants. Fourteen partner feeding programs received Stepping Ahead Capacity Building Grants ranging from $1,190 to $5,000. The Stepping Ahead Grants are funding projects such as a new cooler and shelving at Polo Lifeline in Ogle County and space expansion at Kankakee County Community Services.
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Other awardees include: Sycamore Food Pantry in DeKalb County; Neighborhood Food Pantries, REACH, St. Vincent DePaul and Wayne Township in DuPage County; St. Mary of Vernon and St. Vincent de Paul in Lake County; Woodstock Food Pantry in McHenry County; Blessing Bench, Forest Park Community Center, Kuzma Care Cottage, Romeoville Community Pantry and Warren Sharpe Community Center in Will County; and Carpenters Place and Rock House Kids in Winnebago County.
Northern Illinois Food Bank leads the northern Illinois community in solving hunger through innovative programs and partnerships. Northern Illinois Food Bank provides food to more than 60,000 people each week through a network of 800 local food pantries and feeding programs across 13 counties. For more information please visit www:solvehungertoday.org.
