CHICAGO (WLS) — On this Giving Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2023, ABC7 Chicago kicks off its annual “Feed the Love,” an initiative with area food banks to help raise awareness of the critical and growing problem of food insecurity.
During ABC7’s Eyewitness News at 11 a.m. with anchors Terrell Brown and Tanja Babich, checks will be presented to Kate Maehr of The Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD) and Julie Yurko of the Northern Illinois Food Bank (NIFB) by Babich, on behalf of ABC7 and The Walt Disney Company.
With inflation and the high cost of basic necessities, many families continue to struggle to make ends meet. It is more important than ever to continue the fight to end hunger by providing consistent nutritional meals to those in need. According to the GCFD, one in five Chicago households is at risk of food insecurity. GCFD alone provided 76.4 million meals last year to those in need, and the NFIB provided 83 million meals.
“As we approach the New Year, we are concerned about the cumulative effects of the pandemic, record inflation, elevated food prices and the expiration of pandemic-era federal assistance programs on our neighbors. Many families are still trying to regain financial stability. We are incredibly grateful for partners like ABC 7 Chicago whose consistent support helps to ensure that our neighbors in need can put a nutritious meal on the table for their families,” Maehr said.
“Northern Illinois Food Bank is serving an average of 540K neighbors a month. This is an increase of 80K neighbors over last year at this time. Through our network of 900 pantries and feeding programs, we provide 83 million meals a year across 13 counties throughout suburban and rural Northern Illinois,” Yurko said.
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About ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago
ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago is the No. 1 local news source and most-watched television station in Chicago. With top-rated daily newscasts spanning decades and the largest social media presence in the market with more than 2.3 million Facebook followers, ABC7 Eyewitness News provides breaking news, investigative reporting, weather, politics, traffic and sports in the multiplatform space to Chicago, the suburbs and northwest Indiana. Named Best News Operation by the Associated Press for four consecutive years, the station produces 41 hours of local news weekly and Chicago’s only local weekday entertainment talk show, “Windy City Weekend,” as well as its highest-rated New Year’s Eve special. ABC7’s award-winning programs such as “Our Chicago” showcase the city’s diversity, while being the only Chicago station producing and broadcasting parades representing Chicago’s rich cultural history. In addition to producing town halls focused on current social issues, the station has a long and proud tradition of broadcasting political candidate debates keeping Chicago’s electorate informed. ABC7’s outreach efforts include annual partnerships with the Red Cross for life-saving blood drives and, most recently, spearheading an effort to raise more than $1.5 million for area food pantries.
