Heat or Eat? Difficult choices face hungry neighbors during winter months

One of the most distressing choices our hungry neighbors have to make is whether they buy food or pay for their utilities. A full 77 percent of households served by Northern Illinois Food Bank report having to make that choice.

While hunger is an issue that persists throughout the year, it can lead to particularly heartbreaking choices for our neighbors in need during the winter. The effects of the sub-zero temperatures throughout the region in early January continue to be felt by hungry neighbors now facing high utility bills. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research indicates low-income families eat less during the winter to compensate for increases in the heating bill.

Northern Illinois Food Bank and its network of 800 community food pantries, soup kitchens and feeding programs offer hope for families faced with the difficult choice of buying food or paying for heat. When finances are tight, neighbors in need can rely on their local food pantries and feeding programs as a place where they can receive nutritious food.

“We recently met a woman at a food pantry in Joliet who is a cancer survivor and relies on a fixed income to care for herself and her adult son who has cerebral palsy,” said Donna Lake, director of communications and philanthropy at Northern Illinois Food Bank. “She said in the winter she often struggles with the decision of whether to turn up her thermostat for fear of incurring high gas bills and not having enough money to afford groceries. Thankfully, she can rely on her local food pantries to help make ends meet.”

At Northern Illinois Food Bank, every $1 donated helps the Food Bank provide $8 worth of food for our neighbors in need. The Food Bank serves 71,000 people each week across 13 counties.

If you need help, visit www.SolveHungerToday.org/GetHelp for a locator map with information about nearby food pantries and soup kitchens. To help a neighbor in need visit www.SolveHungerToday.org to make a tax-deductible donation today.