Illinois Hunger Coalition

The SNAP Outreach and Enrollment team provides assistance with SNAP and Medical applications, and screens people who are potentially eligible for benefits in English and Spanish. The Illinois Hunger Coalition does outreach at the City Colleges of Chicago and colleges and universities in Southern Illinois, food pantries, health fairs, courthouses, the Cook County Sheriff's Day Reporting Center, and other public events organized by the community.The Illinois Hunger Coalition also trains community providers and consumers on SNAP and Medical enrollment rules and best practices, in-depth policy, and on-the-ground implementation.IHC conducts statewide Outreach and Education for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children "WIC" that focuses on healthy eating for Moms, Babies, and Kids up to age 5 years old.

Child Nutrition Programs:The School Breakfast Program:The School Breakfast Program is a federal child nutrition program that operates in public and private nonprofit schools and residential child care institutions. Participating schools receive reimbursement for breakfasts which meet the U.S. Department of Agriculture's nutritional requirements. Breakfast can be served through a variety of service models including the traditional model before school and breakfast after the bell (BATB) models such as breakfast in the classroom and grab and go.In Illinois, if 40% or more of a school's population is eligible for free or reduced price (FRP) school meals, then schools must offer breakfast. If 70% or more of a school is FRP, then schools must offer BATB.The IHC assists schools with starting or expanding their breakfast programs by connecting them with grants and resources, providing technical assistance, and working with each school to develop a breakfast program that fits their needs and culture.IHC also assists schools in applying for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which was established by the 2010 Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act and allows schools with a certain percentage of FRP students to provide school meals to all of their students for free.The Summer Food Service Program:The Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) are federal nutrition programs that provide free and nutritious meals to children 18 years old and younger. Children ages 19-21 who have a disability and who have participated in a school program during the school year and have an IEP on file may also receive meals. The SFSP and SSO are sponsored by the USDA and administered by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).The IHC's Hunger Hotline serves as the statewide phone number for families to call to find a summer meal site near them. IHC also assists interested community and nonprofit organizations, churches, libraries, and park districts in becoming a summer meal site and promoting the site within their community. The IHC also creates community-specific flyers to help community residents find sites near them.