Whether shopping for loved ones or looking to make a charitable donation, finding the most meaningful gift possible is a priority for many during the holiday season.

With one in seven people in Northern Illinois facing hunger, one of the most powerful, impactful gifts you can give is a meal to a family in need by donating to Northern Illinois Food Bank, where $1 provides $8 of groceries.

“We know the holidays can be a particularly stressful time for families as they struggle to afford groceries, keep up with bills and create special holiday memories for their children,” said Julie Yurko, Northern Illinois Food Bank president and CEO. “Our goal is to provide access to nutritious food for our hungry neighbors throughout the year, and we’re grateful for the generosity and support of our individual and corporate donors who help make our work possible.”

One of the easiest ways to help a family in need this holiday season is to donate to Northern Illinois Food Bank and help provide a holiday meal through the Holiday Meal Box Program. A $30 donation provides a traditional holiday meal complete with turkey, fresh potatoes, stuffing mix, gravy, vegetables, fruits, coffee and dessert.

The Food Bank aims to provide more than 35,000 holiday meal boxes throughout November and December to its network of 800 food pantries and feeding sites. While the program is made possible through the generosity of individual and corporate donors, more help is needed. Donations can be made at www.SolveHungerToday.org or by calling (630) 443-6910.

Accredited by the Better Business Bureau and recognized as a 4-Star charity from Charity Navigator for 13 years in a row, 97 percent of all resources go directly to the Food Bank’s various feeding programs, which serve more than 71,500 people each week.

While we’ve made progress in closing the meal gap in Northern Illinois, the reality is that many hungry neighbors still face difficult financial decisions like whether to buy food or pay for utilities or medicine.

For example, while 78 percent of the households the Food Bank serves had a working family member in the past 12 months, only 15 percent were working full time. Children and seniors are also particularly vulnerable populations, with children age 18 and under making up 36 percent of the people served by Northern Illinois Food Bank and adults age 60 and over representing nine percent.

“If you or someone you know needs food assistance, please visit the Food Bank’s website at www.solvehungertoday.org/gethelp to find your local food pantry or feeding program,” Yurko said. “These programs are there to help.”

While the holiday season eventually comes to an end, hunger persists year round. For more information on how to volunteer, donate or get involved in our mission of solving hunger, visit www.SolveHungerToday.org, follow the Food Bank on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram, or call us at (630) 443-6910 today.

Hunger may be here – but we believe that hunger is solvable. And with your help, we’ll continue working until we can solve it by providing every meal, every day, for every hungry neighbor in Northern Illinois.