Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) are encouraging eligible families to apply for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to support income eligible households with utility costs for natural gas, propane, and electricity. Applications opened today, October 1, and will remain open through August 15, 2026, or until funds are exhausted. 

For many residents, there is an additional reason to apply for LIHEAP this year. Customers of these four natural gas utilities – Ameren, Nicor, North Shore Gas, and Peoples Gas – will automatically have their monthly gas bill reduced under the Low-Income Discount Rate program as long as they receive an annual LIHEAP benefit.

For the fourth season in a row, a statewide effort is turning deer donations into family meals, easing the strain of rising food prices and creating benefits for communities, businesses, and the environment.

Across Illinois, the season turns and work resumes. In timber lots and along field edges, hunters take to familiar ground with a shared mission. What starts as a harvest in the woods continues in coolers, cutting rooms, and community rooms, then arrives as dinner on tables that need it most. Hunters Feeding Illinois is the thread that joins these moments. 

In Illinois, where agriculture is central to the state’s identity, hunger remains a persistent challenge. One in 10 people experience food insecurity every day, including one in eight children. Farmers Feeding Illinois, the state association of Feeding America, is working to change that with three core initiatives: Farm to Food Bank Program, Grain for Good, and Hunters Feeding Illinois. 

Right now, Congress is weighing legislation that would cut nearly $300 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) over the next decade. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, this would be the largest cut to SNAP in U.S. history.

Hunger isn’t just a statistic—it’s a reality for many Illinois families, from city neighborhoods to rural towns. In fact, 1 in 8 people in Illinois face food insecurity, including thousands of children and seniors. Rising costs and limited access to fresh food make it harder for families to make ends meet.

This tax season, you can make a difference. By donating to the Hunger Relief Fund on Schedule G of your IL-1040, 100% of your contribution goes directly to Feeding Illinois food banks, helping provide nutritious meals to families in need.

Make a small donation today when you file your Illinois tax return. Together, we can fight hunger right here in our communities.

The Grain for Good (G4G) program is turning local harvests into meals for neighbors in need. This year, the program delivered 3,000 pounds of ground pork to the Open Arms Food Pantry in Metamora, Illinois. Sourced from local farmers and processed at Bittner’s Eureka Meat Locker, this donation is helping to combat food insecurity in Woodford County, where nearly 1 in 10 people face hunger.

On August 3, 2023, Governor JB Pritzker signed the Illinois Farm to Food Bank Act into law, marking a significant step forward in addressing food insecurity across the state. With $2.5 million in funding allocated for 2024, the program aims to connect Illinois farmers with those in need, ensuring that high-quality produce, dairy, and meat can directly benefit residents struggling with food insecurity.

The Illinois Deer Donation Program returns for its third donation season with an exciting new name: Hunters Feeding Illinois. This rebranding reflects an expanded partnership among Feeding Illinois, the Southern Illinois Food Pantry Network, and the University of Illinois Extension, bringing together hunters, meat processors, and food pantries to provide lean protein to Illinois families in need.

Feeding Illinois is proud to introduce its latest initiative, the “Grain for Good” (G4G) pilot program, a collaborative effort designed to combat food insecurity in Illinois. This innovative program encourages local farmers to donate a portion of their grain harvests, the proceeds of which will be used to purchase pork from Illinois hog farmers.

The Farm to Food Bank Initiative will work with more farms after a successful 2021 pilot project with Rendleman Orchards, according to Stephen “Steve” Ericson, executive director of Feeding Illinois.

A young Woodford County farm family is feeling grateful after an influx of volunteers helped them harvest a two-acre food plot, with the fresh produce destined for area food banks.

Food banks in Illinois got a special treat last year: more than 600,000 pounds of peaches, nectarines and apples. Marred by a dimple here or there, the fruit was bounty that previously might have been left to rot, deemed unsuitable for grocery stores.

David Nayak bought a Grundy County farm in October with a goal to impact lives and fight hunger. On July 28, the Chicago physician delivered fresh sweet corn to two food banks.

Feeding Illinois partnered with Rendleman Orchards during the 2021 growing season to ensure no fruit went to waste! Through the USDA’s Farm to Food Bank grant, Feeding Illinois was able to pay Rendleman Orchards its picking and pack-out costs (PPO) which represent the farm’s costs to harvest and package the product and enabled the donation of the peaches, nectarines, and apples.