Welcome!

Opportunity to Impact Local Hunger 

I recently had the opportunity to meet with Dan Adzia and Julie Yurko from Northern Illinois Food Bank.  Northern Illinois Food Bank (NIFB) provides food to the hungry through food pantries, soup kitchens, etc. throughout northern Illinois. Five of the counties served by NIFB are also a part of the Joliet Diocese (DuPage, Grundy, Kankakee, Kendall, and Will).  NIFB will distribute 13 million pounds of food this year in our area, a 40% increase over last year, a 77% increase since 2008!  NIFB also provides food assistance to children through after school and summer meal programs.   I was impressed to learn that NIFB is giving 360 chronically hungry children in our Diocese backpacks each Friday with enough healthy, kid-friendly food to feed themselves and two siblings for the entire weekend.  There is no doubt that NIFB is serving the hungry right here in our own community.  For more information about NIFB, visit their website at www.northernilfoodbank.org.

 The Food Bank has recently launched its first Capital Campaign to build a new Food Distribution and Community Nutrition Center to enable them to handle more food more efficiently to meet the increasing demand.  When NIFB moved into its current facility ten years ago, they were distributing 5 million pounds.  Today they are distributing 35 million pounds, 7 times that amount, from the same facility!  Julie and Dan are working to raise funds and awareness for this effort and would like to meet with you to tell you personally about NIFB and their Capital Campaign.  I hope that you will consider accepting their offer.  You can contact Julie Yurko, Senior Development Officer, at 630.443.6910X119 or jyurko@northernilfoodbank.org. 

 Advocate for Just Policies in Washington, DC at Ecumenical Advocacy Days! 

Every day policy decisions are made in Washington, DC that affect people around the world.  As people of faith, we are called to educate and encourage our legislators to seek policies that lead to justice and peace. We invite you to join the Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN) at Ecumenical Advocacy Days (Friday, March 19 - Monday, March 22, 2010) in Washington DC. with more than 700 people of faith for two days of workshops and a day on Capitol Hill meeting with legislators. This year's theme is "A Place Called Home: Immigrants, Refugees, and Displaced Persons."  There will be workshops and Congressional "asks" regarding Immigration, Colombia,Honduras, Trade, Cuba, and Haiti.  In addition, on Sunday, March 21 we will join a national march calling for just immigration policies. For more information please visit our website at http://www.crln.org/Ecumenical_Advocacy_Days_2010  or call Erin Armstrong at CRLN at 773-293-2964.