For Immediate Release
Eastern Illinois Foodbank Teams Up With Eastern Illinois University for Student Volunteer Opportunity
URBANA, Illinois –Eastern Illinois Foodbank (EIF) and Eastern Illinois University (EIU) are teaming up to offer new students at EIU a unique volunteer opportunity. On August 17, approximately 60 new EIU students will travel to EIF’s warehouse as part of Prowl, EIU’s new student orientation program.
During the volunteer event, students will repackage bulk food into smaller portions that will be distributed to EIF’s partner agencies, such as food pantries and soup kitchens.
Beth Gillespie, the interim director of Civic Engagement & Volunteerism at EIU, says the goal is for new students to connect to the community around them while also giving back. “We want them to know from the first weekend they are on campus and to understand that Eastern Illinois University is a place that values giving back and taking care of our community at large,” she said. “Places like the Foodbank help put food on the table for people in our community, including some of our students.”
Coles County, one of the 18 counties in Eastern Illinois Foodbank’s service area, currently has more than 7,400 residents living with food insecurity per the most recent Map the Meal Gap study from Feeding America. EIF works with partner agencies in Coles County, including EIU’s Newman Food Pantry at the Newman Catholic Center, to provide food to those in need.
