Northern Illinois Food Bank, local pantries helping hungry families share a holiday meal

Providing more than 35,000 families with a holiday meal is no small undertaking, but Northern Illinois Food Bank is up to the task thanks to the generosity of its donors and volunteers.

Throughout November, volunteers are packing boxes with all the fixings for a traditional holiday meal to feed a family of eight at the Food Bank's centers in Geneva, Park City and Rockford. The Holiday Meal Boxes will then be distributed to families in need in time for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays through the Food Bank's network of community food pantries and feeding programs.

Each Holiday Meal Box comes with a turkey and includes fresh potatoes, stuffing mix, gravy, vegetables, fruit, coffee and dessert. The Food Bank anticipates providing more than 35,000 Holiday Meal Boxes this year throughout its 13-county service area.

"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. "Through our Holiday Meal Box program, we hope to help alleviate some of that stress and make sure our neighbors in need are able to gather around the dinner table with family and friends to enjoy a festive meal."

Northern Illinois Food Bank's Holiday Meal Box Program is supported by the Hillshire Brands Foundation, Del Monte Foods, Inc., The Jel Sert Company and Jewel-Osco. The Food Bank also relies on the generosity of individual donors to help cover expenses. A $30 donation provides a Holiday Meal Box for a family of eight.

To donate to the Holiday Meal Box Program, or to learn more about Northern Illinois Food Bank, visit www.SolveHungerToday.org.