Eggo and Jewel-Osco give time, waffles to fight food insecurity in Northern Illinois

Eggo donates 180,000 waffles to Northern Illinois Food Bank

According to Feeding America, 1 in 11 Illinoisans are facing hunger. That’s why Eggo, a Kellanova brand, and Jewel-Osco have teamed up to tackle the ongoing issue of hunger in the Chicago area, with Eggo donating almost 180,000 Eggo waffles to Northern Illinois Food Bank.

In addition, Kellanova and Jewel-Osco employees volunteered their time to help pack food, including the donated waffles, at Northern Illinois Food Bank’s distribution facility in Geneva, Ill.

“The need to help feed and fulfill continues, which is why we support hunger relief in the communities where we operate through our Kellanova Better Days Promise — whether through donations or volunteering,” said Joe Beauprez, senior director, marketing — frozen foods, at Kellanova. “As a company that also calls Chicago home, it’s an honor to partner with a Chicagoland icon and trusted customer like Jewel-Osco to support those facing hunger in our communities.”

Northern Illinois Food Bank serves neighbors in 13 counties, providing tens of thousands of meals a day. The food bank relies on the help of nearly 1,000 volunteers every week, but has recently seen a drop in the rate of volunteerism.

“Northern Illinois Food Bank is serving more neighbors than ever before.   We are making every effort to meet the growing need but cannot do it alone. Thanks to Kellanova’s generous donation and ongoing partnership, neighbors facing hunger will continue to get the food they need to thrive,” said Maeven Sipes, chief philanthropy officer at Northern Illinois Food Bank.

This Eggo donation will be used for the food bank’s weekend Backpack Program. Their child nutrition programs provide nutritious meals and snacks to kids after school, weekends, and lunches in the summer. Many children typically consume up to two full meals a day at school and too often, these are the only meals they can count on. Northern Illinois Food Bank’s BackPack Program collaborates with school staff who identify children that may be at risk of hunger on weekends and provides weekend meals in backpacks to a weekly average of 2,000 children at 190 program sites throughout Northern Illinois.

Through this partnership, Eggo is underscoring its commitment to making mornings easier for all families. Through its L’Eggo Forward program, Eggo is creating brighter futures for everyone, starting with sustainable and equitable access to food.

“As the grocery market leader in the Chicagoland area, Jewel-Osco is proud to give back to the communities we serve and to our longtime partner, Northern Illinois Food Bank,” said Mark Laryea, senior vice president, merchandising & marketing for Jewel-Osco. “We share Kellanova’s commitment and passion for volunteerism, which is a critical component in ensuring our neighbors who face food insecurity can thrive.”

This initiative is one of the ways Kellanova and its iconic brands are bringing the Kellanova Better Days Promise to life. Kellanova is committed to advancing sustainable and equitable access to food, creating #BetterDays for 4 billion people by the end of 2030.

Interested in volunteering at Northern Illinois Food Bank? Sign up at solvehungertoday.org/how-to-help/volunteer/. Or visit www.feedingamerica.org/take-action/volunteer to find your nearest food bank.

About Kellanova

Kellanova is a leader in global snacking, international cereal and noodles, and North America frozen foods with a legacy stretching back more than 100 years. Powered by differentiated brands including Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts, Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats, RXBAR, Eggo, MorningStar Farms, Special K, Coco Pops, and more, Kellanova’s vision is to become the world’s best-performing snacks-led powerhouse, unleashing the full potential of our differentiated brands and our passionate people. Net sales for 2023 were $13 billion.

At Kellanova, our purpose is to create better days and ensure everyone has a seat at the table through our trusted food brands. We are committed to promoting sustainable and equitable food access by tackling the crossroads of hunger, sustainability, wellbeing, and equity, diversity & inclusion. Our goal is to create Better Days for 4 billion people by the end of 2030 (from a 2015 baseline). For more detailed information about our commitments, our approach to achieving these goals, and methodology, please visit our website at www.kellanova.com.

About Jewel-Osco

Locally great and nationally strong, Jewel-Osco was founded in 1899 and is owned by Albertsons Companies. The grocery and drug retailer has 188 locations encompassing Illinois, Northwest Indiana, and Iowa, and employs over 31,000 associates. For more information log onto www.JewelOsco.com and follow us on social media at Facebook.com/JewelOsco, Twitter.com/JewelOsco, Instragam.com/JewelOsco, Pinterest.com/JewelOscopr and YouTube.com/JewelOsco

About Northern Illinois Food Bank

For over 40 years, Northern Illinois Food Bank has been dedicated to solving hunger and empowering neighbors. Our vision at Northern Illinois Food Bank is for everyone in Northern Illinois to have the food they need to thrive. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and proud member of Feeding America, we serve our neighbors in 13 counties with dignity, equity and convenience, providing 250,000 meals a day. We bring together manufacturers, local and corporate grocers, area farmers, corporations, foundations, and individuals who donate food and funding, and each week nearly 1,000 volunteers help us evaluate, repack, and distribute food. We also proudly partner with more than 900 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and youth and senior feeding programs to provide nutritious food and resources. Distribution centers are located in Geneva, Lake Forest, Rockford and Joliet. Find out how you can get help, volunteer, donate or get involved at SolveHungerToday.org, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.