LCFAN: Lake County Food Access Network — Help Us Put Food on the Table for Lake County Families Lake

Hello,

I’m reaching out to introduce you to the Lake County Food Access Network (LCFAN)—a new local initiative being built from the ground up with one simple goal:

Help make it easier for people in Lake County to find food, find help, and find a way forward.

It is an invitation to help build something.

Lake County is home to approximately 719,339 people across 258,455 households.

And behind the strength and prosperity of our community are neighbors who can still find themselves struggling with something as fundamental as putting food on the table.

Lake County's own published data estimates that, in 2021, 46,520 Lake County residents experienced food insecurity, including 9,340 children.

They are children.

Parents.

Grandparents.

Seniors.

People whose circumstances may have changed unexpectedly.

And people who may be quietly struggling without knowing where to begin.

The need is real—and Lake County already has an extraordinary network of people working to meet it.

Lake County's recovery-plan materials report that from April 2022 through March 2023, the Northern Illinois Food Bank served an average of 72,379 people every month in Lake County and provided more than 13.18 million meals during that 12-month period.

County materials also report that monthly mobile food markets at the College of Lake County and Cristo Rey in Waukegan serve approximately 500 households each, while additional community markets can serve up to 250 households.

And people are still actively reaching out for assistance.

According to the 211 Lake County FY2025 Annual Report, food was one of the major categories of need presented to the helpline. The report records 1,034 food-related needs, including requests involving food pantries, SNAP, soup kitchens, home-delivered meals, and formula or baby food. Food-pantries alone accounted for 438 requests.

That tells us something important:

Lake County has people who care.

And Lake County still has people who need help finding their way to those resources.

Our belief is simple: If someone is hungry, they should have a starting point.

If a parent needs groceries, finding assistance should not require navigating a maze of disconnected websites, phone numbers, eligibility rules, and organizations.

If a senior needs food assistance, there should be a clear path toward help.

If a community organization wants to help, there should be more opportunities to connect that help with people who need it.

We are working to build the partnerships, community relationships, outreach, resource coordination, communication systems, and infrastructure needed to become a dependable local resource.

We are currently raising $30,000 to help establish that foundation.

We are asking people to help us get noticed.

Because a new organization can have a powerful mission and still struggle if nobody knows it exists.

A donation can help us build.

A school, church, business or civic group can share our mission with its community.

A chance to be seen.

It is a story about food insecurity existing alongside one of the most substantial communities in Illinois.

It is a story about children and families who can disappear behind statistics.

And it is a story about a new grassroots initiative attempting to build another connection point within that existing network.

Any of those opportunities could introduce LCFAN to someone who becomes a volunteer, partner, donor, food-resource provider, advocate, or future supporter.

We would be genuinely grateful for the opportunity.

Donate toward our $30,000 launch goal.

Follow and share our Instagram so more Lake County residents can discover us.

GoFundMe:

https://gofund.me/85e2b7be8

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/lakecountyfoodaccessnetwork

We understand that $30,000 can sound like a large number.

But we are not asking one person, one business, or one organization to carry this effort.

We are asking a community to participate in building it.

Maybe someone gives $10.

Maybe someone gives $100.

Maybe someone shares this message with 500 people.

That is precisely why we are reaching out.

Because somewhere in Lake County right now, there is a parent trying to stretch what is left in the kitchen until payday.

There is a child who deserves to be thinking about school, friends, and their future—not whether there will be enough food at home.

There is a senior trying to make a fixed income cover groceries and everything else.

There is a working family that never imagined it would need assistance.

There is someone who needs help but feels embarrassed to ask.

We want LCFAN to become a bridge between need and help.

And we cannot build that bridge alone.

So whether you donate, share, volunteer, partner, introduce us to someone, invite us to tell our story, publish a small spotlight, mention us in a newsletter, or simply take a moment to learn about what we are trying to build—

Thank you for considering us.

With gratitude,

Lake County Food Access Network (LCFAN)