A new study released by Feeding America, the nation’s largest hunger relief organization, reveals that 34 percent of children under the age of 18 and 38 percent of households are struggling with hunger in the 102 counties Feeding Illinois food banks serve. The study, Map the Meal Gap, is the first time such localized data has been available.  

Feeding America first published the Map the Meal Gap project in early 2011, with the generous support of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and The Nielsen Company, to learn more about the face of hunger at the local level. In August 2011, with the support of the ConAgra Foods Foundation, child food insecurity data was added to the project. The maps below reflect 2009 and 2010 data, and will be updated every year with new data.

Select a year and your state in our interactive map below and start learning more about the residents struggling with hunger in your community and the food banks that serve them.