ABC7 Chicago teams up with local food banks to fight food insecurity with 'Feed the Love'
CHICAGO (WLS) -- This holiday season, ABC7 Chicago is kicking off its annual Feed the Love campaign to help raise awareness about the critical and growing problem of food insecurity.
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On Giving Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, during ABC7's Eyewitness News at 11 a.m. with anchors Terrell Brown and Tanja Babich, checks will be presented to Kate Maehr of the Greater Chicago Food Depository and Julie Yurko of the Northern Illinois Food Bank by meteorologist Tracy Butler, on behalf of ABC7 and The Walt Disney Company.
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To donate or get involved with the Greater Chicago Food Depository visit chicagosfoodbank.org and for the Northern Illinois Food Bank, visit SolveHungerToday.org. Your support can help ensure everyone can bring meals home this holiday season and beyond.
A common theme around the holidays is family get-togethers and good food. With inflation and the high cost of necessities, many families continue to struggle to make ends meet and get the necessary food for themselves and their families. It is more important than ever to continue the fight to end hunger by providing consistent nutritional meals to those in need. According to the Food Depository, one in five Chicago households is food insecure. The Food Depository alone provided 101.4 million meals last year to those in need in Chicago and Cook County. The Northern Illinois Food Bank provided 90 million meals throughout 13 counties in suburban and rural Northern Illinois.
"As we approach this holiday season and the cost of living remains high, the need for food throughout Cook County persists. The Greater Chicago Food Depository is so grateful for the continued support of ABC7's Feed the Love initiative. When we work together, we can end hunger - and help build a truly Greater Chicago." said Kate Maehr, executive director and CEO of the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
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"When neighbors experience food insecurity, it can have a significant impact on their physical and mental health. This only compounds the stress many of our neighbors already feel during the holiday season. We are deeply grateful for ABC 7 Chicago's steadfast support to ensure neighbors facing hunger receive the nutritious food they need to thrive. Solving hunger is a community wide effort and we cannot do it alone. Together, we are nourishing those who need it most," said Julie Yurko, president and CEO of the Northern Illinois Food Bank.
As part of the "Feed the Love" campaign, ABC7 will highlight those working hard to fight hunger in the community, including the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana.
Nov. 12: ABC7 will showcase an after-school program at the Chicago Heights Public Library. There, the Greater Chicago Food Depository helps provide free, nutritious meals to children and teens in Cook County throughout the year.
Nov. 19: ABC7 will feature the Family Life Youth Community Center, a co-op of small businesses, churches and community members in Gary, Indiana, providing food on a daily basis as well as hot meals.
Nov. 26: ABC7 visits the Senior Mobile Food Market in West Chicago, run by the Northern Illinois Food Market. More than 4,000 seniors are served monthly through the program.
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About ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago
ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago is the No. 1 local news source and most-watched television station in Chicago. With top-rated daily newscasts spanning decades and the largest social media presence in the market with more than 2.3 million Facebook followers, ABC7 Eyewitness News provides breaking news, investigative reporting, weather, politics, traffic and sports in the multiplatform space to Chicago, the suburbs and northwest Indiana. Named Best News Operation by the Associated Press for four consecutive years, the station produces 41 hours of local news weekly and Chicago's only local weekday entertainment talk show, "Windy City Weekend," as well as its highest-rated New Year's Eve special. ABC7's award-winning programs such as "Our Chicago" showcase the city's diversity, while being the only Chicago station producing and broadcasting parades representing Chicago's rich cultural history. In addition to producing town halls focused on current social issues, the station has a long and proud tradition of broadcasting political candidate debates keeping Chicago's electorate informed. ABC7's outreach efforts include annual partnerships with the Red Cross for life-saving blood drives and, most recently, spearheading an effort to raise more than $1.5 million for area food pantries.
