 The attorney general was joined by Kate Maehr, executive director
and chief executive officer of the Greater Chicago Food Depository,
and Joanne Ekberg, director of North Park Friendship Center in
Chicago, to announce the contribution. The Friendship Center is one
of 650 agencies served by the Greater Chicago Food Depository, which
received $655,000 and is one of the state's eight regional food
banks."These are very tough times and people all over the state
are struggling to make ends meet," Madigan said. "No one should go
hungry. This settlement will help feed thousands of families across
Illinois and bring hope to many who are hurting in this economy.
"This money will allow Illinois' eight regional food banks to
purchase food and distribute it through their local food pantries,
which reach all Illinois counties and help families in need all over
the state."
Pam Molitoris, executive director of Central Illinois Foodbank in
Springfield, said: "Central Illinois Foodbank is extremely pleased
to be receiving these funds from the Illinois attorney general’s
office. This will allow us to acquire foods with high nutritional
content, which is among our highest priorities."
The funding comes at a time when the food banks are seeing demand
steadily increasing as unemployed Illinoisans struggle to make ends
meet.
The Greater Chicago Food Depository estimates that from 2006 to
2009 the number of people they have fed has grown by 36 percent,
with 678,000 people served last year alone. From July through
October of this year, which is the most recent data collected by the
organization, there were 1.7 million visits to its food pantries
throughout the Chicago area.
The organization estimates every $1 it receives translates to
more than 5 pounds of food.
"We are humbled to receive this donation as we serve record
numbers of people at pantries, soup kitchens and shelters in Cook
County," Maehr said. "These funds will allow us to purchase
nutritious food, including fresh produce, which will be distributed
to thousands of our neighbors."
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The funds that the attorney general distributed to battle hunger
come from a $25 million settlement reached by her office and 22
other states with nearly a dozen vitamin manufacturers.
The settlement resolved the remaining claims from an
international conspiracy in the 1990s by vitamin manufacturers to
fix the price of vitamins and overcharge in order to make a larger
profit -- in violation of federal and state antitrust laws. The
court ordered the settlement funds to be used toward improvements in
the areas of health, nutrition or science.
Illinois received nearly $1.4 million from the settlement, of
which Madigan is distributing $1.2 million to the food banks. The
remainder will be used to fund consumer education and enforcement of
Illinois' antitrust laws.
The following is a breakdown of the
$1.2 million donation:
-
Greater Chicago
Food Depository, Chicago, serving 650 agencies: $655,000
-
Northern Illinois
Food Bank, St. Charles, serving 510 agencies: $259,116.71
-
Eastern Illinois
Foodbank, Urbana, serving 220 agencies: $62,500
-
Central Illinois
Foodbank, Springfield, serving 160 agencies: $54,000
-
River Bend Foodbank,
Moline, serving 100 agencies: $37,500
-
St. Louis Area
Foodbank, Bridgeton, Mo., serving 160 Illinois agencies: $63,000
-
Peoria Area Food
Bank, Peoria, serving 127 agencies: $30,000
-
Tri-State Food Bank, Evansville, Ind.,
serving 44 Illinois agencies: $22,000
[Text from file received from the
Illinois attorney general's
office]
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