By addressing food insecurity and promoting adequate protein intake, we can improve the overall health and well-being of individuals and communities. This requires collaborative efforts from governments, non-governmental organizations, community-based initiatives, and individuals to create sustainable solutions and break the cycle of food insecurity. Efforts should focus on improving access to nutritious food, promoting sustainable agriculture, fostering economic opportunities, and empowering vulnerable populations. Food insecurity has profound consequences on physical health, cognitive development, and overall well-being. When individuals or households experience food insecurity, they often struggle to access an adequate and diverse range of nutritious foods, including those rich in protein. Inadequate protein intake contributes to malnutrition and its associated health consequences. Protein is essential for growth , development, and maintenance of the body's tissues, as well as for numerous physiological processes. It plays a crucial role in building and repairing muscles, producing enzymes and hormones, supporting immune function, and maintaining healthy hair, skin, and nails. Protein intake has an additional benefit of reducing feelings of hunger because it metabolizes at a slower rate than carbohydrates thereby promoting fullness. Insufficient protein intake can lead to muscle wasting, increased illness, delayed wound healing, and decreased overall health and well-being.

“Because of you, Franciscan Outreach is able to make a positive difference in the lives of so many who have nowhere else to turn for help and hope.” Executive Director, Franciscan Outreach, Chicago Hunger is not letting up even as inflation seems to slow To the surprise of many, food insecurity is not declining in the U.S. It’s hanging on as the last of the Covid-19 aid programs has ended and higher costs for some foods continues to strain American household budgets. Affordable housing shortages, higher interest rates, creeping energy costs, labor strikes, severe weather and the growing number of people being laid-off have all contributed to this surprising number of people who are having trouble putting food on their tables. The percentage of households across the U.S. who are food insecure is 10.2% with nearly 4% of those facing severe insecurity. Coming Events HRN Student Food Pack Program-­­Ongoing Free and reduced price school lunch programs are wonderful. But they’re not enough. So we provide nutritious, overflowing bags of food to every student we can. We have an amazing group of partner organizations including; Sunset Foods, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church, Northbrook Evangelical Covenant Church, Congregation Beth Shalom, The Village Presbyterian Church and the Northbrook Chamber of Commerce. But, we need lots more help to reduce the number of students coming to school on an empty stomach. Click here to donate or for more information. Community Outreach Food Delivery Day-Veterans Day, November 11 Once again thousands of pounds of nutritious frozen chicken will be sent winging its way to food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens and churches all over Chicagoland. This year, for the first time ever, we will be distributing 132,000 pounds. That’s 12,000 more pounds of chicken than ever before! That comes to 264,000 protein servings for our neighbors in need. And, this year, on Veterans Day, we will be providing thousands of servings to our Veterans in need. There is a great feeling of accomplishment as we load up some 80 trucks, of all types and sizes, and send them on their way to hungry families in every corner of Chicagoland. Click here to contribute needed funds to continue our Community Outreach Days. For more information on HRN and these events click here or go to hungerresourcenetwork.org .

Westmoor Elementary School - Sunday, July 16th from 10 am – 2 pm.

We can’t do this work without you—our supporters

Hunger exists in every community in America and Northbrook is no exception. There are almost 400 students in the Northbrook public schools who are on the free or reduced lunch program and are food insecure. Hunger Free Northbrook, a program of Hunger Resource Network (a Northbrook-based non-profit organization), is currently serving 160 of the 400 students across the twelve public elementary and middle schools in Northbrook. Local college and high school students have decided to help these 160 students in a special way this summer. You can help by bringing a Fun Bag to the event on Sunday, July 25th between 10am and 2pm. Samantha Mallahan, a junior pre-med student at Vanderbilt University and Erin Nibeck, who will be a freshman architecture student at the University of Illinois in Champaign are leading a team to help their neighbors in need.

Thirty to forty percent of the food in the United States goes to waste according to the USDA’s Economic Research Service. In fact, food is the largest class of waste that ends up in American landfills. You can help reduce this waste by freezing food to avoid spoilage. Frozen foods can be used for future full meals, side dishes or snacks. Meats are one of the most common foods frozen, however, freezing is also a great option for many other types of food: 1. Fresh Herbs Whether you grow herbs in your garden or buy them at a farmers market or grocery store, they spoil quickly. To avoid waste, remove the leaves and freeze them in a container. Another option is to chop and mix them with olive oil and freeze them in an ice cube tray. Once frozen, pop them out and store them in a container. They can be easily added to enhance sauces, meats or pasta.

Regardless of your political, social or religious beliefs one thing that all Americans can agree upon is that no one in our country should go hungry. Today an estimated 22 million Americans are food insecure and that includes 20 to 25% of our children. Proper nutrition for children is a key to their health and development. A child’s physical, emotional, social and brain development can suffer when they are malnourished. Food insecurity can significantly impact their education and career readiness and lead to a spiral of generational poverty. Save the Children reports that in the lowest socio-economic areas in the U.S. as many as 40% of the children are food insecure. They go on to report that 30 million children are dependent on at least some of their meals from a school meals program. However, with the loss of family income related to the pandemic and extended school closures, food insecurity has become an even greater issue as the pandemic continues on. In spite of this, according to The Children’s Defense Fund, “Schools across the U.S. have shamed families and children with lunch debt by taking hot meals away from students and throwing them away, forcing students without lunch money to eat a tuna sandwich as a ‘badge of shame,’ trying to bar students with lunch debt from attending prom or graduation and firing employees for letting a student take food without paying.” The World Health Organization estimates that 45% of the deaths of children under 5 years of age are linked to undernutrition. They go on to say, “undernutrition makes children much more vulnerable to low height-for-age stunting, disease and death.” Hunger Resource Network has developed programs to help children and families struggling with food insecurity. To learn more about how you can help go to www.hungerresourcenetwork.org If you are in need of food, regardless of your income, contact the Northfield Township Food Pantry at www.twp.northfield.il.us or call 847-724-8300. Hunger Resource Network is an all-volunteer, 501c3 non-profit organization based in Northbrook, IL. It is dedicated to help alleviate hunger in the Chicago area by meeting the needs of food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters.

Glenbrook North High School students have organized their annual food drive for Sunday, March 7th in support of the Northfield Township Food Pantry to help those in our local community who are struggling with putting enough food on their table

It’s well known that the Covid-19 pandemic has caused serious consequences for millions of people worldwide, but the extent of those consequences closer to home is becoming alarmingly apparent. Cook County now has “the third-largest population of food-insecure people in the United States.” The increase in the number of people struggling to put enough food on their table in the area has been stretching the resources of food pantries and soup kitchens across the metropolitan area. Worst of all, it’s expected that it may take years for things to, ‘even return to pre-pandemic levels.’ For a look at what one group is doing to help alleviate this problem, go to “ Chicago is Experiencing the Biggest Hunger Crisis in Decades . ” Hunger Resource Network is committed to providing greater support than ever before across Chicagoland. Please consider a donation to Hunger Resource Network at hungerresourcenetwork.org to help us further our work. Cathy Allen Director, Hunger Resource Network