Food bank, elected officials aim to address crisis of military hunger

NORTH CHICAGO – Northern Illinois Food Bank hosted a news conference featuring elected officials and community leaders Oct. 17 at the Midwest Veterans Closet in North Chicago to highlight the alarming issue of food insecurity affecting active-duty military families.

The event aimed to address barriers that prevent service members from qualifying for vital assistance programs such as SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and to propose legislative changes to alleviate the crisis.

U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, state Sen. Julie Morrison, state Rep. Bob Morgan, state Rep. Rita Mayfield, a representative from state Sen. Adriane Johnson’s office and County Board Chair Sandy Hart were at the news conference. They underscored the urgency for action and support.

“No one who has served and sacrificed for our country should ever have to worry about nourishing themselves or their loved ones. Yet one in four active-duty service members experiences food insecurity, a rate 2.5 times higher than their civilian counterparts,” said Robert Desio, manager of public policy and benefits at Northern Illinois Food Bank. “Less than 0.5% of active-duty service members stationed in the U.S. received SNAP benefits in 2019, highlighting the urgent need for reform.”

For the past three years, Northern Illinois Food Bank has been granted support from Feeding America through RTX to enhance food distributions and advocacy efforts aimed at reducing food insecurity among active military personnel.

In partnership with the Midwest Veterans Closet, the food bank directly serves and advocates for local military families facing hunger.

Julie Yurko, president and CEO of Northern Illinois Food Bank, emphasized the organization’s commitment.

“These families have given so much for our country and it is our responsibility to ensure they have access to nutritious food,” Yurko said in a statement. “We need stronger support – both through direct assistance and policy changes – to dismantle the barriers that prevent military families from accessing essential resources. Together with our partners like Midwest Veterans Closet, our elected officials and Feeding America, we are dedicated to advocating for change and ensuring that no military family goes hungry.”

After the news conference, attendees participated in a monthly mobile market distribution where volunteers from Great Lakes Naval Base and New Trier High School helped distribute food. Each mobile market is funded by a grant from Feeding America and RTX and serves more than 150 military families.

Service members can receive free groceries through Northern Illinois Food Bank’s My Pantry Express online food pantry with free pickups every Wednesday at a location less than 10 minutes from Great Lakes Naval Station. Service members who live off base receive a basic allowance for housing to help cover costs. This allowance counts as income in the calculation to determine SNAP eligibility, disqualifying many service members from accessing SNAP benefits.

Northern Illinois Food Bank, Feeding America and elected officials are urging Congress to support bipartisan legislation from U.S. Sens. Tammy Duckworth, D-Illinois, and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, that will help more service members access SNAP benefits by excluding the basic allowance for housing from the gross income calculation for SNAP eligibility.

“Every veteran, service member and really every human being should have peace of mind that they can put food on the table for themselves and their kids each day. Unfortunately, that’s not the reality we live in and food insecurity for veterans and many others is not only real but also prevalent,” Schneider said. “In the U.S. Congress, I’m working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to break down the barriers that cause hunger and food insecurity among our current and former service members. But in the meantime, we need to make sure those who serve our country have the meals and resources they need. I’m so grateful for the incredible work that the Northern Illinois Food Bank and Midwest Veterans Closet do to feed and support the veterans and military families in our community.”

Elected officials also urged Congress to address food insecurity in the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act by including provisions to expand eligibility for the Basic Needs Allowance for military families.

If Congress were to make these changes, the impact would be significant. More than 20,000 additional service members would be eligible for the BNA, providing them with much-needed support and hope for a better future.

To learn more about Northern Illinois Food Bank’s advocacy program, visit Advocate - Northern Illinois Food Bank (solvehungertoday.org).