Illinois Hunger Coalition
The Illinois Hunger Coalition (IHC) is a statewide membership organization that works to alleviate hunger through education, networking, advocacy and empowerment activities. Projects are designed and resources are pursued to achieve progress towards the implementation of the mission. IHC works to alleviate hunger through its many programs and services. Among these are:
- Public Education: IHC works to educate the public about hunger, its root causes and ways to eliminate. Through the building blocks project, IHC raises public awareness of childhood hunger, and links community services and programs to food and nutrition initaitives. Currently, this project gives approximately 20,000 children access to meals they did not have previously.
- Hunger Hotline: Through the Hunger Hotline (1-800-359-2163), callers can: receive information on federal nutrition programs; be referred to emergency food pantries and soup kitchens, obtain information about poverty issues; and learn more about other programs such school meals, Women, Infant & Children (WIC), KidCare, Summer food programs, and Food Stamps.
- Community Organizing: IHC actively works to create and maintain open lines of communication with anti-hunger organizations across the state. IHC's network includes federal, state and local agencies that administer food and nutrition programs.
- Advocacy: IHC believes that hunger and lack of food security are socio-economic conditions that are caused primarily by an absence of progressive public policy. IHC speaks up for the rights of low-income people, empowers individuals by teaching leadership skills and advocates for laws and regulations that are designed to alleviate hunger.
To learn more about the Illinois Hunger Coalition contact: IllinoisHunger@yahoo.com.
