Director's Corner

In the summer of 2003, the Northern Illinois Food Bank Board adopted a strategic plan for the organization that included a set of directives.  One of those directives was to “make food more accessible” to the people we serve regardless of how.

In March NIFB was the recipient of two awards for a new program that the Food Bank has been instrumental in starting: NIFB received the Illinois Interagency Nutrition Council Community Services Award and the Information Resource Center Technology Leadership Award.

These awards were given to the Food Bank for its role in starting the new Express Stamps program.   Express Stamps is an internet based application process for food stamps that takes the application opportunity directly to where most people go for emergency food assistance—our network of local food pantries. 
 
Northern Illinois Food Bank is the only Food Bank in America involved in this program.

Let me give you a brief history of food stamps. The program started during the Great Depression as Food Coupons.  People had to pay for them.  An individual could buy $6.00 worth of coupons for $4.00.  Some of those coupons could be used to get extra amounts of food that the government termed surplus.   This program ended in the fifties. The idea was re-instituted as part of President Kennedy’s War on Poverty in the sixties as Food Stamps, but people still had to buy them, which continued to exclude the very poor.

With strong bi-partisan leadership from Senators Dole and McGovern, The Food Stamp Reform Act of 1977 was enacted during the Carter administration making Food Stamps available at NO COST to low wage earners, the poor, the elderly and many Americans who were trapped in poverty. 

The program still had a major flaw: It did not reach all eligible Americans due to the Fact that applicants had to go their State Human Service office to apply for benefits. In Illinois today, only 60% of the eligible candidates participate in the program.  Reasons include: difficulty getting to the DHS offices because of transportation, jobs, age, etc.

This problem had to be fixed.  Three years ago, NIFB entered into discussion with America’s Second Harvest, the USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, and the Illinois Department of Human Services to find a better way.  It was decided to take the application process to where people in need of food congregate: The local Food Pantry.

The obvious solution was identified. It then became necessary to prove that this idea could work. The new program utilizes volunteers using laptop computers with wireless phone cards to assist people in applying for benefits.

The applicant’s personal information is transmitted to the Illinois’ Department of Human Services’ database to verify eligibility for benefits.  If the candidate qualifies, they are given a LINK card, and within several days they will receive by mail a PIN number. Upon activation they have immediate access to food at their local grocery store.

In the pilot’s first five months over 400 LINK cards with over $60,000 in benefits have been given to needy families.  Express Stamps have accomplished two very important things: it has reduced the time it takes for a person to get benefits from a month to several days, and  it has taken the application process to food pantries where people are who need food.

I am happy that Northern Illinois Food Bank has received the two awards. I am more excited that the program is expanding to other pantries in our area, and look to the future when the Express Stamp application process will be available to needy people across all of Illinois and the nation.

Northern Illinois Food Bank is proud to claim a place in history as we have found a new way to help our hungry neighbors gain access to food. 

For information on volunteering in the Express Stamp program call me at 630 443 6910.