Rosa shares, “I'm a single parent who works two jobs, but still can't make ends meet. The physical work I do each day doesn't bother me. I'm happy to work. It's the mental anguish I face at the end of each month, when 3 meals dwindle down to 1 meal a day. How do I explain that to my children?”

Rosa isn't alone. According to the Hunger in America 2001 Study, nearly half of the households helped by Northern Illinois Food Bank have at least one employed adult. For too many people, having a job doesn't mean you're able to pay for the basic necessities including food. Many jobs pay so little that people simply cannot earn enough to survive, no matter how hard they work or how well they budget.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services identifies the 2006 poverty level as $20,650 for a family of four, or $1,720 per month. A worker earning $10 per hour would be just below the poverty line.

Northern Illinois Food Bank provides food to the working poor and others struggling to have enough to eat through a network of over 520 food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens, and group homes in 13 counties in northern Illinois. In fact, the Hunger in America 2001 Study identified that NIFB is the single most important source of food for these food assistance agencies.

When a paycheck can't buy enough food, hungry people turn to the food bank and its partners in the fight against hunger. Learn how you can help.