Northern Illinois Food Bank, a GFF grantee based in Geneva, Ill., was featured in a Kane County Connects article, “Northern Illinois Food Bank Wins Innovation Award for ‘My Pantry Express.’ The food bank was named the People’s Choice winner of the 18th annual Chicago Innovation Awards. The organization’s pilot program, My Pantry Express, is an online source for food when in need.
“My Pantry Express reduces barriers for food insecure neighbors to receive help. The program offers private online food shopping and local pick-up at convenient locations and times to reach food-insecure individuals not presently accessing the charitable food network. Northern Illinois Food Bank is the first food bank to offer this service.”
“MPX creates simple, easy access to nutritious food at no cost for food insecure neighbors. It connects an overabundance of food with areas of need, providing an added level of food availability and choice. Seventy-four percent of food-insecure people participating in MPX reported being able to keep up with paying their bills on time and making fewer tough choices.”
The Northern Illinois Food Bank helps solve hunger by providing nutritious meals to those in need through innovative programs and partnerships. Each year, NIFB is the source of food and hope for more than half a million people in a 13-county area, including Lake County. In fiscal year 2018, NIFB distributed more than 65.9 million meals. 1.6 million of those meals were through its Child Nutrition Program, which provides after school and summer meals and weekend backpacks of food.