Posts Tagged: illinois

2018 Hunger Summit in Springfield

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Written by Jane Macdonald, Loaves & Fishes Director of Community Wellness The 2018 Hunger Summit is an annual conference hosted by the Illinois Commission to End Hunger.  The event welcomes people from across Illinois who work every day to provide those in need with nutritious food to lead a healthy life.  Attendees have the opportunity… Read more »


Jackson National Takes Action Against Child Hunger

Loaves & Fishes’ Child Nutrition Initiative has been a crucial part of our hunger-relief efforts since 2004, when it was launched to supplement the loss of school-provided lunches for students during the summer months. As the need in our community increased, the initiative expanded in 2005 to provide breakfast foods for students during the school… Read more »


Gardening with Purpose

I confess that my gardening experience is more limited than I would like, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m a huge fan of those talents. Gardening is a great hobby with an unmistakable benefit for those who take it on: food with flavor. Produce straight from the garden has a magic for kids,… Read more »


How Could Proposed Funding Cuts Impact Client Families?

Child poverty, unfortunately, is a growing epidemic in the state of Illinois. No one wants to see a child suffer. No one likes reading or hearing about a child being abused or neglected. We are aware of programs, services, and even policies at both the state and federal level that have been effective reducing child… Read more »


The Battle for Employment

What is the true unemployment rate in Illinois? Are you accounted for in the true unemployment number? According to recent reports, the Illinois working-age population has grown by nearly 300,000 since the recession; however the Illinois workforce has shrunk 226,000 over the same period. This indicates there’s a gap of more than 500,000 working-age Illinoisans… Read more »


2011 Report on Illinois Poverty Finds Poverty Worse in Illinois Today than During the Recession

Poverty, worse in Illinois today than during the recession, grew from pre- to post-recession by 16 percent, according to the 2011 Report on Illinois Poverty released today. In fact, poverty is at its highest point in decades, and 1 in 3 Illinoisans are considered poor or low-income. The Social IMPACT Research Center’s release dovetails with Human Rights Day, and underscores the economic deprivation and threats to dignity and well-being endured by those who live in poverty. In the report, IMPACT documents hardship across a variety of indicators including income, employment, health, housing, and assets. Together these indicators document the conditions faced by struggling families across Illinois. The report includes the following key findings: · At least 1 in 10 people live in poverty in 85 of Illinois’ 102 counties.Median household income has continued the disturbing trend of the past decade. · Currently at $52,972, it has declined 3.4 percent from the recession and 6.9 percent from before the recession. · Illinois must add 528,844 new jobs to fill its job gap (number of jobs lost during the recession and the number of jobs needed for new entrants to the workforce). 2011 Report on Illinois Poverty