There's a way community college students in Illinois can help address food insecurity among their fellow students.
This week launches the second annual Feed the Need Campus Food Drive.
Last year, students from 20 Illinois community colleges collected more than 91,000 food items. Organizers hope to exceed that total this year.
Matt Berry serves as Chief of Staff for the Illinois Community College Board. He says almost a quarter of community college students at some point have faced food insecurity.
“We know that for students to be successful they not only need to succeed in the classroom, but they need to have those basic needs met so that they can be successful academically," he said.
Berry says the colleges are also helping students with homelessness and mental health challenges.
"Our campus community is banding together to address the whole student," he said.
Elgin Community College, Waubonsee Community College and Illinois Valley Community College were among the schools that participated in the food drive last year.
Some 430 visits – a record number for a single month – were recorded for Illinois Valley Community College’s student pantry in September as students sought snacks, basic needs items and grocery supplies, according to Ashlee Fitzpatrick, Associate Director of Retention at IVCC.
The drive runs through Dec. 1, 2025.
The school that collects the most non-perishable food items and toiletries for campus-based food banks and local food pantries will be recognized at the Illinois Community College Board meeting in January.