December 2020 Update!
Since September, we have distributed a total of $202,000 in two rounds of mini-grants to 74 faith partners in Central Illinois, Chicago, the North & West Suburbs, and Lake County. This funding was made possible by the Chicago Region Food System Fund and ComEd. We know our communities' food crisis needs are dire and hope our efforts help.
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Faith in Place just announced it will distribute 42 grants, funded through the Chicago Region Food System Fund, to Houses of Worship providing emergency relief from COVID-19 related hunger in their communities.
Chicago, IL – Faith in Place has worked for over 21 years with communities of faith in Illinois to address environmental injustice and create healthier communities. In response to the acute hunger families across the state are experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Faith in Place, funded through the Chicago Region Food System Fund, is distributing $80,000 to 42 houses of worship across Illinois who are providing food crisis relief.
An Oxfam report released in July indicates that by the end of the year, 12,000 people globally could die from COVID-19 related hunger each day. The hunger crisis in Illinois also continues to worsen as the state faces record levels of unemployment due to COVID-19. According to the Chicago Food Depository, food insecurity doubled overall and tripled among households with children in April 2020.
Through partnering with houses of worship addressing this crisis on the ground, Faith in Place is responding to the critical needs many families are facing. The organization focused funding on Houses of Worship located in communities facing the highest rates of hunger. Of the 42 Houses of Worship grantees, 27 were located in environmental justice communities and 36 were located in low-income communities. The grantees are located in several regions of Illinois, from Lake County through Chicago to Central Illinois.
For more information or to arrange an interview with a grantee, reach out to Elena Bettis at elena@faithinplace.org.