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Success Stories of Our Advocacy Efforts

When we raise our voices together, we can make lasting change. Our advocates support policies that end hunger today and address its causes for the future.

Thanks to the combined efforts of our advocates, we have advanced policies that support food access for all. Here are a few highlights of our advocacy.

2024

  • Protecting full funding for WIC: With rising food costs and participation, Congress came dangerously close to underfunding the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), putting eligible families at risk of being put on a waitlist or turned away from the program for the first time in decades. Due to our advocacy with national partners, Congress ultimately upheld its nearly 30-year, bipartisan commitment to fully fund WIC in FY24.
  • Farm to Food Bank funding: Feeding Illinois food banks helped secure $2.5 million in state funding to continue the Illinois Farm to Food Bank Program in the FY25 state budget (see program details in the “2023” section below)
  • Breakfast After the Bell grants: The Food Depository – in partnership with education, child health, anti-hunger, and anti-poverty groups – helped secure $300,000 in state funding to create a Breakfast After the Bell (BAB) Grant Program at the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). The small grants (up to $7,000) to schools help them start or expand “Breakfast After the Bell” program models that make it easier for kids to access breakfast and overcome barriers like transportation, timing, and stigma. For example, grab and go breakfast on the way to class or breakfast in the classroom. (Learn more)
  • Illinois Child Tax Credit: The Greater Chicago Food Depository was a member of the Cost of Living Refund Coalition of 50+ organizations that successfully advocated for Illinois to create the first ever state-funded Child Tax Credit. The credit is up to $300 for families with young children (under 12) who qualify for the federal Earned Income Tax Credit in tax year 2024, and will double to up to $600 per family for tax year 2025 (Learn more)
  • Medicaid 1115 Waiver: The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) approved Illinois’ request to extend its Medicaid 1115 waiver or demonstration project and retitle it the “Illinois Healthcare Transformation.” The goal of the demonstration is to provide medical assistance and improve the health of communities and populations by extending and granting Illinois authority to implement changes to its Medicaid program such as reimbursement for health-related social needs (HRSN) like housing and nutrition supports. As part of the Alliance for Health Equity Food is Medicine Subcommittee, the Food Depository outlined values and recommendations for the implementation of food and nutrition benefits in the 1115 waiver in a letter to the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services. (Learn more)

2023

  • Illinois Farm to Food Bank Program (HB2879): Through our advocacy, the General Assembly passed legislation to create the Illinois Farm to Food Bank Program to increase the supply of nutritious, locally-grown food from Illinois farmers for Illinois’ emergency food system. Read the Food Depository’s statement when the legislation was signed into law.
  • TEFAP Income Limit: The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) received approval from USDA to increase the income limit for The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to 300% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, enabling families with modest incomes who still experience food insecurity to access food at our partner pantries.
  • Summer EBT: Congress passed legislation to create a nationwide Summer EBT program to help families with school-age children buy food during the summer months. Illinois was one of 37 states that opted in to launch the program in Summer 2024, providing $152 million in grocery benefits to over 1.2 million children in Illinois in the program’s first year.
  • SNAP Benefit Replacement for Victims of Card Skimming: Congress passed legislation requiring states to replace benefits for families whose SNAP benefits were stolen through card skimming or other fraudulent means. SNAP benefits stolen between October 1, 2022 and December 20, 2024 were eligible for replacement, until the provision was unfortunately allowed to expire.

2022

  • Investment to bolster hunger relief efforts: The US Department of Agriculture’s announced a commitment of $1.5 billion in additional funding for emergency food assistance, a victory for anti-hunger advocates nationwide, including Feeding America member food banks and our local partner networks, who have been advocating for additional action from the federal government as our nation’s food insecurity crisis continues. Read how this investment helps protect our neighbors facing hunger.
  • Updated Public Charge Rule: Food Depository advocates and partners have raised their voices to defend access to vital benefit programs. The Department of Homeland Security’s new public charge rule affirms that participation in federal nutrition programs and most other public benefit programs will not affect immigrant rights or potential paths to citizenship. Read our statement on the updated rule.

2021

  • American Rescue Plan: Our advocates raised their voices to provide food assistance through a sustained comprehensive COVID-relief package. Thanks in part to their advocacy efforts, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan to provide relief to millions of Americans facing food insecurity.
  • Public Charge Reversal: The Greater Chicago Food Depository advocates for immigrants and their families to safely seek food assistance through programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The former administration toughened restrictions on access to federal aid for some immigrants making it harder for some people to apply for programs like Medicaid and SNAP. We are grateful that the U.S. Department of Justice reserved this course. Here's our statement on the reversal of public charge rule change.

2019

  • Victims of human trafficking, torture and other crimes (VTTC) Program Extension (HB 2118): This bill extends food, medical and cash benefits for foreign-born survivors of human trafficking, torture and other crimes. It will help ease hunger and hardship as these individuals seek their visas. With support from our advocates, this bill passed unanimously out of the House and Senate and was signed into law on August 9.
  • SNAP Restaurant Meals (HB 3343): Beginning in 2020, Illinois residents with disabilities, older adults and people experiencing homelessness will be able to use their SNAP benefits to purchase prepared food. For advocates like Brian McRae, this common-sense update is personal. Read his story and more background about this bill on our blog.

2018

  • College Students Hunger Relief (SB 351): Low-income students who are pursuing career or technical education programs at community colleges will be eligible for benefits to help them afford nutritious food. Over 40,000 economically-disadvantaged students at 49 community colleges could become eligible for SNAP benefits as a result of this law.
  • Hunger Relief Tax Check-Off (SB 2868): Illinois taxpayers will have the opportunity to contribute to the Hunger Relief Fund when they file individual income tax forms. This law will aid Illinois food banks in providing vital support to individuals and families struggling with hunger.
  • Healthy Local Food Incentives Fund (HB 4568): The Healthy Local Food Incentives Program provides double-value coupon incentives to SNAP participants to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at farmers markets and farm stands. The new law also calls for a $500,000 investment in this program, strengthening local economies while increasing access to nutritious food.
  • The Breakfast After the Bell law is working for kids: Beginning with the 2017-18 school year, schools in which 70 percent or more of the student population is eligible for free or reduced-price meals are required to offer Breakfast After the Bell in Illinois. The law makes breakfast part of the school day and increases access to the nutrition all students require each morning to learn and succeed in the classroom. Early data shows that Illinois saw an increase of more than 20,000 students receiving breakfast in the 2017-18 school year! Read about the impact of Breakfast After the Bell in one local school.
  • Secured a waiver of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) time limit for calendar years 2018 and 2019: The SNAP time limit waiver protects access to SNAP benefits for more than 260,000 Illinoisans by waiving a federal requirement that would result in many only being able to receive SNAP benefits for 3 months in a 3-year period. Learn more about the importance of this waiver, and see the Food Depository's official statement on the waiver.

Take Action Today to End Hunger and its Root Causes

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