•October 1, 2015•

Sullivan - Eastern Illinois Foodbank will distribute a truckload of food to hungry area families.  The distribution will be held at Sullivan VFW (1146 State Hwy 32, Sullivan) on October 3, 2015 from 9:00 AM to noon.  All Moultrie County residents who meet income eligibility criteria are welcome (see below).  Those attending are asked to bring bags or boxes to transport food.  A representative from Eastern Illinois Foodbank will be present to assist families and individuals interested in applying for SNAP benefits.

The distribution is part of the Foodbank’s Foodmobile Program, a system of mobile food pantries designed to help bring nutritious food to areas of chronic or extreme need. Through the program, local companies and organizations are invited to contribute toward a one-day distribution of food and optionally participate in the distribution process. The cost to partner with the Foodbank on a Foodmobile distribution is $3,000.

The Foodmobile distribution comes at a critical moment for area residents. Data released by Feeding America, the nation’s network of food banks, shows that a staggering 15% of people in eastern Illinois are considered food insecure, which means they sometimes lack adequate access to food. More shockingly, over 23% of children are food insecure. (http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/hunger-studies/map-the-meal-gap.aspx)

All eligible residents of Moultrie County needing food are welcome to attend the Foodmobile distribution. To be eligible, a household must have an income at or below 185% of the federal poverty level, or approximately $3,739 per month for a family of four. Full eligibility criteria are listed below. Other area Foodmobile distributions can be found by visiting the Foodbank’s website at www.eifoodbank.org and clicking “find help.”

Maximum monthly income per eligible household:

Eastern Illinois Foodbank works to alleviate hunger in eastern Illinois through cooperation with a network of food pantries, agencies and other programs like the Foodmobile Program.  The Foodbank distributes donated and discounted food throughout a 14-county service area in cooperation with 220 member agencies and programs.  Through these agencies, the Foodbank provides food to more than 100,000 different men, women and children each year. The Eastern Illinois Foodbank is a member of Feeding America (formerly America’s Second Harvest), Feeding Illinois, the United Way of Coles County, and the United Way of Champaign County.