Hunger in Eastern Illinois

What is food insecurity? Food insecurity refers to USDA’s measure of lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. Simply put, food insecurity is hunger. The face of hunger is universal. Hunger affects people of all ages and races and exists in all communities. Currently, more than 97,000 people in eastern Illinois, including nearly 26,000 children, don't have enough to eat. 

Feeding America undertook the Map the Meal Gap project, with the generous support of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and The Nielsen Company, to learn more about food insecurity at the local community level. View the interactive map showing food insecurity rates and find out how many meals are missing from the tables of hungry families in your community.

Learn more about poverty and food insecurity from Feeding America.