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Suburban Jewel-Osco stores collecting donations to help feed hungry kids

Suburban residents can help feed more hungry, low-income students breakfast in schools by donating at local Jewel-Osco stores.

The Illinois Hunger Coalition and Jewel-Osco Foundation are partnering for the annual Hunger Is campaign to end childhood hunger.

Hunger Is - a charitable program of Jewel-Osco Foundation - aims to build awareness and raise funds to provide breakfasts in and out of school through federal nutrition programs and other means, and improve other health-related outcomes for students.

Donations toward the campaign are accepted through the end of September at checkout counters of 187 Jewel-Osco locations. Stores in Burbank, Des Plaines, Palatine, Skokie, South Chicago Heights, Villa Park, Wauconda, Wheaton and Zion specifically are collecting funds benefiting the Illinois Hunger Coalition's efforts.

Proceeds will be used to address the gap between the number of low-income students participating in federal school breakfast programs and those receiving free and reduced-price lunches.

Of Illinois' 822 public school districts, 635 had schools serving breakfast during the 2016-17 school year - 200 districts are not serving breakfast, according to the coalition.

A state mandate requires schools with 70 percent or more students eligible for free and reduced lunch to implement a Breakfast After the Bell program to feed low-income students. Yet, districts can opt out of the program, if they can't afford it.

Elgin Area School District U-46 got an exemption last school year citing cost concerns, despite 19 of its 40 elementary schools being eligible.

"Our goal is to work with schools that do not currently serve Breakfast After the Bell, have low breakfast participation or have significant numbers of low-income students," said Jena Wallander, Illinois Hunger Coalition spokeswoman. "Schools that we are looking at all have an average of about 31 low-income students participating in breakfast per every 100 participating in school lunch. All of the schools have room for improvement."

The agency is focusing on helping districts in Burbank, Des Plaines, Palatine, Skokie, South Chicago Heights, Villa Park, Wauconda, Wheaton and Zion, she added.

The coalition offers technical assistance to districts with high numbers of low-income students to help them administer breakfast programs. At one Wheeling elementary school, participation in the breakfast program increased from 20 percent to 80 percent with the group's help, Doherty said.

For information, call the Hunger Hotline at (800) 359-2163.

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