Governor Quinn Celebrates Thanksgiving by Helping Those in Need

CHICAGO – November 21, 2012. Governor Pat Quinn today visited the Greater Chicago Food Depository to help volunteers prepare holiday meals and emphasize the importance of supporting Illinois’ food banks this holiday season and throughout the year. The state’s eight food banks help provide nutritious meals to food to families in need. According to Feeding Illinois, there are currently more than 1.9 million people across the state who do not have access to nutritious food.

“No family should go hungry in Illinois,” Governor Quinn said. “As we give thanks for what we have, I encourage the people of our state to make a difference by volunteering or donating to their local food bank throughout the year.”

The Greater Chicago Food Depository is a not-for-profit food distribution center that provides food to more than 142,000 people each week, nearly 37 percent of which are children. For more information about how to volunteer or donate food to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, visit www.ChicagoFoodBank.org.

Feeding Illinois, the state food bank association, has provided meals to more than 1.4 million people in need. In 2011, the association’s network of 2,000 pantries, soup kitchens and shelters distributed 120 million pounds of food to residents throughout the state. To find out more about hunger in your community or how to help food banks across the state, visit www.FeedingIllinois.org.

Earlier this year, Governor Quinn helped launch the “Illinois No Kid Hungry” campaign to help end childhood hunger statewide by using proven strategies. The campaign was created at the recommendation of the Illinois Commission to End Hunger. In 2011, Governor Quinn appointed the first members to the Commission with the goal of exploring how Illinois can overcome barriers and develop sustainable policies and programs to effectively end hunger in the state.