Rural Health, Inc. Launches May Food Drives to Help Pantries Prepare for Summer Surge

As the school year draws to a close, many families throughout Southern Illinois are looking ahead to summer and concerns about feeding their children without support from the National School Lunch Program. As a result, each year it is estimated that regional food pantries often experience demand spikes between 700% and 850% during the summer months, placing an additional strain on pantries when donations are often at their lowest.

Rural Health, Inc. (RHI) is working to help reduce the food burden for families in the Illinois counties it serves by hosting food drives in Johnson, Massac, and Union counties this May. All non-perishable food items and monetary donations will be delivered to their distribution sites the same day they are collected. RHI asks those who can donation to visit one of the following locations.

• Goreville Food Market in Goreville, May 14 from 9:00 to 1:00. Donations to benefit Arrowleaf Food Pantry in Vienna.
• Big John’s Superstore in Metropolis, May 22 from 9:00 to 1:00. Donations to benefit COPE Food Pantry in Metropolis.
• Kroger in Anna, May 28 from 9:00 to 1:00. Donations to benefit Shawnee Development Food Pantry in Anna.

“Lack of nutritious food can lead to serious and long-term health problems, particularly for children, such as impaired physical development and reduced cognitive functioning,” said Shawnna Rhine, Director of Public Relations for Rural Health, Inc. “By supporting our local food pantries we can help ensure that children are getting healthy meals year round.”

According to the University of Illinois Extension, over 45,000 Southern Illinoisans struggle with hunger, with child food insecurity rates in the region reaching between 17.9% and 29.5%. This translates to over 12,000 hungry children in Southern Illinois. During the summer months, families must often provide an additional 10 to 14 meals per week.

While anything non-perishable will be accepted, Rural Health, Inc. is asking donors to consider nutritious items that are kid friendly and easy for children to make themselves. This can include mac ‘n cheese boxes, canned meals (ravioli, spaghetti, chicken, etc.), peanut butter, ramen noodles, individual boxes of cereal, crackers, individual fruit cups (no sugar added), and juice boxes.

For more information about donating, contact Shawnna Rhine at 618-833-4471, ext. 1036.

Rural Health, Inc. (RHI) is a not-for-profit organization serving Johnson, Massac, and Union counties in Illinois, designated by the federal government as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), whose mission is to provide quality services to all patients in need of healthcare while being committed to the overall health and well-being of the underserved.

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