The DuPage County Board is moving forward on a plan to allocate $4.8 million in surplus funds from the fiscal year 2025 budget to combat the growing prevalence of food insecurity. The contributions are intended to directly assist food pantries and improve distribution infrastructure.
The board at its Tuesday, March 24, meeting approved three resolutions to fund specific food insecurity-related programs and initiatives across the county. The series of votes came on the heels of a preliminary discussion earlier this month.
A breakdown of the county’s food insecurity funding plan
The board committed $2.5 million to Loaves & Fishes Community Services, which will be applied toward the agency’s food distribution hub in Aurora.
Loaves & Fishes representatives are in the midst of an $8 million project that will increase the size of the existing food distribution facility from 30,000 square feet to 62,000 square feet and quadruple the amount of cold storage capacity.
The latest Loaves & Fishes project builds off a prior $4.5 million commitment the agency made at the current Hub facility, which opened in 2021. The latest initiative is being dubbed Hub 2.0. The expansion is meant to allow the agency to serve a growing number of clients.
Additionally, the board is allocating $2 million to the Northern Illinois Food Bank to provide fresh produce and other essential commodities to local food pantries.
A $322,000 contribution to The Conservation Foundation for its Farm to Pantry Program rounds out the list of allocations. The funding is intended to help the organization expand the existing program.
Food insecurity in county has reportedly risen 64%
Board members have been discussing funding contributions toward food insecurity within this year’s budget as statistics have shown an uptick in needs across DuPage County.
District 6 County Board member Greg Schwarze, chair of the Human Services Committee, has been playing a leadership role in assembling the funding program from county funds.
In a news release issued after the board’s vote, Schwarze said, “National data shows that food insecurity in our county has increased by 64% in recent years.”
At the board meeting, Chair Deborah Conroy described the package of resolutions as “carefully considered investments we developed to fill some of the gaps left in the wake of the federal reduction in food programs.”
“Our plan leverages public-private partnerships and encourages further collaboration in the community to deliver the freshest, healthiest food to our neighbors in need,” Conroy added. “We continue to welcome feedback as it rolls out.”
Conroy also indicated the three resolutions were the result of extensive collaborative discussions that took a number of factors into account.
“I’ve learned, the hard way, that good policy is often a very twisted road,” Conroy said. “I think we’ve done the work, and the policy that we’re putting forth is something that everyone should be very proud of.”
County Board members weigh in on contributions
Several members of the County Board weighed in on the food insecurity funding as the resolutions were taken up under the Finance Committee portion of the agenda.
District 4 board member Grant Eckhoff spoke to the Loaves & Fishes funding plan and said his desire was to have contributions from the boards of Will and Kane counties in place as well since the agency also serves residents there.
“I don’t think there was enough investigation and attempt to include the other two counties,” Eckhoff said.
He added, “I support Loaves & Fishes; I’ve supported food pantries in the past … but I think, when you’re using taxpayer dollars, you should use taxpayer dollars from all of the counties being served, and not just DuPage County.”
During his committee report, Schwarze thanked his elected colleagues for their support. The resolutions were passed prior to his Human Services Committee update. Schwarze said the contributions will have immediate, and lasting, impacts on DuPage residents.
“With regards to the $2 million to the Northern Illinois Food Bank, that’s going to feed people right now, and people who desperately need it,” he said. “The $2.5 million to Loaves & Fishes is going to feed people — millions of DuPage County residents — for decades to come.”
Schwarze in his committee report also announced an upcoming regional network event hosted by the Northern Illinois Food Bank. It is slated to take place on Thursday, April 23.
“It will bring all of the DuPage pantries together, as well as those from Will and Kane counties,” Schwarze said. “The Northern Illinois Food Bank offered to schedule a special breakout session, specifically for the DuPage pantries that will allow us to share our plans and gather valuable information and feedback from the DuPage Food Network.”
The DuPage County Board plans to continue discussing food insecurity and funding contributions later this year. Additional funding has been allocated for a countywide challenge grant program that is intended to incentivize food pantries to forge partnerships and undertake projects.
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