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Northern Illinois Food Bank reports sharp rise in need as SNAP uncertainty looms
Summary
The Northern Illinois Food Bank told the Kane County Agriculture Committee on Nov. 20 that demand spiked during the recent federal funding disruption and that changes to SNAP work requirements could put thousands of local recipients at risk; the bank tapped $4 million in reserves to cover November services.
Northern Illinois Food Bank Executive (Rob Desario) told the Kane County Agriculture Committee on Nov. 20 that network demand rose sharply amid recent federal funding uncertainty and the partial government shutdown.
"We served about 630,000 neighbors throughout our network in October," Desario said, adding that searches of the food bank’s online food finder were up 389 percent so far in November. He said the bank used an additional $4,000,000 from reserves to cover November needs and that donations and a community response fund have helped cover gaps.
Desario warned that changes to SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) eligibility could produce a long‑term increase in need. He said the Northern Illinois Food Bank serves a 13‑county area with roughly 420,000 SNAP recipients; about 55,000 of those recipients are in Kane County. He estimated roughly 80,000 people in the network could be at risk of losing benefits if work requirements are enforced, with about 10,500 of those at‑risk recipients in Kane County.
The food bank is monitoring legal and administrative developments. Desario described a recent court ruling in Rhode Island that prevented early termination of state waivers and said Illinois’ waiver had been set to expire Jan. 31; the timing of any change to work requirements could be December or February depending on legal outcomes and guidance from IDHS and USDA.
Committee members asked for county‑level distribution counts and discussed practical support options. Several members proposed organizing a holiday drive focused on items local pantries cannot easily buy (pet food, diapers, toiletries and other non‑food essentials). "Cash is king," one member said, but Desario encouraged flexible support and offered the food bank’s philanthropy team as a contact for QR codes or direct links.
The food bank said it will provide more county‑specific data next month and continue coordinating with local pantries and county staff on outreach and exemptions screening.
