CARBONDALE (WSIL)---More than 45,000 southern Illinoisans struggle with having enough food to eat.
According to Feeding America, food insecurity rates for kids in southern Illinois counties range from 17.9% to 29.5%. That's about 12,000 children in southern Illinois alone.
So before school is out of session for the year, pantries need to stock up.
"I think we are seeing a need now, more than we ever have before," said Ashley Moss, the Illinois Delta Network Project Director of the Illinois CATCH onto Health Consortium.
Canned goods and pantry staples are being collected this week at Carbondale High School.
"This food drive is a great way to just give back, especially with summer coming up. A lot of the food drives locally get hit really hard and a lot of people are in need for them. So just stocking up the food is just a great way to help support southern Illinois," said Marta Narag, the Carbondale High School Student Council President, who helped organize the drive.
Carbondale isn't the only school collecting food.
As part of the stocking up summer event, 11 total schools are working to collect food in their area, but there are nearly 95 food pantries in southern Illinois.
"With summer coming up, many of those kids don't have access to summer meals programs, and we have also seen a higher rate of food insecurity in southern Illinois with the pandemic. And so those kids who normally would get school lunch program and breakfast, are potentially going into summer not getting those extra meals," said Dawn Null, an assistant professor of Human Nutrition at SIU.Â
That's why the Summer Stock up food drive is asking not only for more schools to partner with, they also ask for donations like low sodium vegetables, whole grain products, and kid favorites like mac and cheese.
Because a small donation can make a difference.
"We've seen a really high demand at our area food pantries as well because of the pandemic, and so really helping them stock those shelves, will really help our families stock their shelves at home too," said Moss.Â
Any schools looking to partner with the ¾ÅÓÎÌåÓý Illinois Food Pantry can contact Toni Kay at 618-993-3304 to get in contact with a nearby pantry.
If you are unable to donate to a drive, but would like to donate monetarily, use the link .
