April is Volunteer Appreciation Month

During Volunteer Appreciation Month in April, Northern Illinois Food Bank is celebrating the volunteers who dedicate their time and give back to the communities they live in.

Last year Northern Illinois Food Bank welcomed more than 23,000 individuals through its doors to volunteer and help neighbors in need. Volunteers collectively donated 134,000 hours which represents the equivalent of nearly 60 full-time employees, underscoring the important role volunteers play in helping the Food Bank distribute more than 57 million pounds of food through the course of the year to over 71,000 people each week.

Volunteering at the Food Bank can be done once a week, once a month, or whenever time is available. Volunteers are needed throughout the year, and the Food Bank gladly welcomes individual volunteers, corporate and social groups, families and children age 8 and older accompanied by an adult.

Food Bank volunteers help sort food and pack boxes, and growing number of community members are donating their time to a wide variety of projects as a skills-based volunteer. A skills-based volunteer is a professional with expertise in areas such as finance, human resources, photography, graphic design or any field that is able to help with specialized projects at the Food Bank.

"Volunteers are a vital element of the Food Bank distribution process," said Julie Yurko, president and CEO of Northern Illinois Food Bank. "We would not be able to distribute millions of meals to neighbors in need without the thousands who generously donate their time to support our mission of solving hunger."

Volunteer opportunities are available throughout the week, including Saturdays and some evening shifts, at the Food Bank's West Suburban Center in Geneva, North Suburban Center in Park City, and Northwest Center in Rockford.

For information and to register to volunteer, log onto www.SolveHungerToday.org/volunteer.