ILLINOIS (Heartland News) – The 3rd annual Feed the Need Campus Food Drive will collect non-perishable food items at community colleges across Illinois for food pantries and campus food banks.
Organized by the Illinois Community College Board, the food drive will run October 19 through November 30.
Students, faculty, staff and community members are encouraged to participate by donating items at designated drop-off locations on community college campuses statewide.
“Over the past two years, Feed the Need has grown into a tremendous statewide effort, demonstrating what Illinois Community Colleges can accomplish when we come together around a shared purpose,” Brian Durham, ICCB executive director, said in a news release. “Food insecurity continues to be a real challenge for many students and families, and we encourage every college to get involved and help us build on the momentum we have created.”
According to ICCB, a commemorative plaque is awarded to the college that collects the most items.
Elgin Community College won in 2025, with strong participation from several other schools including John Wood Community College, College of DuPage, Illinois Eastern Community Colleges and Shawnee Community College.
In 2025, Illinois community colleges donated more than 180,000 food items to support students and families across the state.
It doubled the previous year’s total.
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