People across the country have been feeling the pinch of higher food prices, and, unfortunately, more increases are on the horizon.  The flooding of Midwest farmland has severely affected the corn and soybean crops, which in turn will drive up the cost of livestock feed.  Economists predict that this will cause farmers to cut back on production even more, thereby driving up the costs of beef, pork, chicken, milk, and eggs.  Corn prices have already risen to the $7.00 a bushel range in July, up from $6.00 a bushel in June, and this trend does not show signs of abating. 

But what does this really mean for food prices in the grocery stores?  ‘‘I have no choice: going broke or increase prices,’’ said Heinz Kramer, who expects to have to charge more for the pork and beef that he processes at a family-owned company in La Porte City, Iowa.  This means that rising food prices will hit our neighbors in poverty even harder.  Battered by high food prices already, there is no more room to tighten their belts.  Even more people will be seeking food assistance at food pantries served by NIFB, who have already seen a 20% rise in need this year.  Times may be tough for all in the community, but we cannot lose sight of helping our hungry neighbors.

Throughout the month of June, more than a dozen states across the Midwest, including Illinois, Indiana and, most notably, Iowa, were battered by continuous storms.  As the rivers swelled to near record heights, many levees could not contain the overwhelming pressure and finally broke, inundating fields, towns, and cities with its waters.  Iowa bore the brunt of this catastrophe as nine rivers in the state alone crested to record levels, including the Cedar River, which submerged the entire Cedar Rapids downtown area.  With tens of thousands of families displaced from their homes, rapid response to basic needs became extremely important to those effected.

Northern Illinois Food Bank along with several other food banks from around the country quickly came to the aid of Iowans.  The Northeast Iowa Food Bank in Waterloo gladly accepted this much needed help as flood waters from the Cedar River approached its steps.  NIFB dispatched several of its employees, including Chris White, Ray Zegunis, and Valentin Correa, with a tractor trailer filled with over 20,000 pounds of cleaning products to deal with the aftermath of these storms.  For the next four days, they helped the food bank fill orders for food and water and made deliveries to areas in need. 

Even though he had seen areas hit by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Chris White, NIFB's Rockford Branch Manager, was still shocked by the devastation in Iowa.  "I came up over a hill top to find the wreckage of what was considered a nice, quiet, neighborhood at one time. The damage and seeing people going through the rubble looking for their personal belongings actually brought tears to my eyes; it rivaled what I saw in Mississippi during and after Katrina and Rita except on a smaller scale," said White. With so much devastation all around them, Iowans were thankful to receive the deliveries of food and water.

While NIFB may be the food bank for northern Illinois, the Food Bank is prepared to help our neighbors across the entire country.  Northern Illinois Food Bank knows that disasters can strike anywhere and anytime, and we are prepared to answer the call for help.

It is official, the Nutrition Title of the Farm Bill is the law of the land! Last month, the House and Senate acquired more than enough votes to overrides President Bush's veto of the bill. In the history of the United States, dating back to President George Washington, 2,550 bills have been vetoed by the President. Until last week, only 106 vetoes had been overridden by the Congress. The Farm Bill we’ve worked so hard to attain became the 107th veto override in U.S. history.  We should feel proud of our historic accomplishment to gain more food assistance for hungry people.

The final Farm Bill makes significant progress in moving toward our vision of a hunger free America. It represents a huge step forward for both The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) and the Food Stamp Program.  TEFAP funding has stood at $140 million dollars since 2002, and as a consequence of inflation and rising food costs, food banks around the country have received less food from the program.  NIFB alone saw a 23% decline in food receipts from federal programs over the last year.  New funding for TEFAP will increase the amount to $190 million this fiscal year and then to $250 million for fiscal year 2010.  In addition, the funding will be adjusted for inflation each year so that purchasing power for food does not decrease.

Click here to learn more about the 2008 Farm Bill.

 

Northern Illinois Food Bank offers many ways to help a hungry neighbor in need including donations of food and funds.  But you can also donate your time in the fight against hunger.  The Food Bank offers volunteer shifts nearly every day to help with food sorting and packaging.  This can be a perfect opportunity for high school and college students on summer break to give back to the community.

The Food Bank also offers a variety of options to volunteer including the Mobile Pantry, the Food Rescue & Recovery routes, and doing office work.  You can also join NIFB's Speaker's Bureau by serving as an ambassador to the Food Bank and speaking to area groups about the needs of the hungry.

Finally, with the warmer months upon us, Northern Illinois Food Bank is looking for volunteers to work at booths at area fairs and festivals.  Enjoy the warm weather AND help the hungry!

Call the Food Bank today at 630-443-6910 to get involved today!