Durbin Attends Launch Of Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry’s Mobile Meals Program

Durbin Attends Launch Of Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry's Mobile Meals Program

Durbin secured a $700,000 earmark for the food pantry to purchase a mobile van to deliver hot meals

AURORA - U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today joined Aurora Mayor John Laesch at the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry for the launch of its Mobile Meals Program. Durbin played an instrumental part in launching the program by securing $700,000 in federal funding through Congressionally Directed Spending in the Fiscal Year 2023 government funding bill for the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry. With this funding, the food pantry was able to add a commercial kitchen to prepare hot meals, in addition to purchasing a mobile van to expand their services to deliver hot meals to those in need. The mobile van will deliver meals to seniors without access to transportation and immigrant communities that are fearful of visiting the food pantry as a result the increased presence of federal agents during the President's cruel mass deportation campaign.

Further, more Illinoisans are relying on food pantries due to the increased cost of groceries, utilities, and gasoline during the Trump Administration. This includes vulnerable families, children, seniors, and people with disabilities, who need help from food pantries after congressional Republicans and the Trump Administration slashed $200 billion from the USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) through the so-called One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) in what was the largest cut to the program in history. As a result of the Republican legislation, up to 150,000 Illinoisans already are believed to have lost their SNAP benefits because of OBBBA's new work requirements. Additionally, 23,000 Illinoisans who are unhoused, veterans, or youth aging out of foster care will lose assistance, and roughly 16,000 lawfully present asylees, refugees, and visa-holding victims of torture, trafficking, and domestic violence, lost benefits as of April 1 because of OBBBA.

"Today, the number of Americans experiencing hunger is higher than it was during the worst point of the pandemic. Our communities are relying on our food banks even more," Durbin said. "In a time of need, the Aurora Interfaith Food Pantry has stepped up to feed our neighbors and friends because serving a hot meal really does make a difference."

Photos of the event can be found here.

Founded in 1981, the Aurora Area Interfaith Food Pantry is one of the largest food pantries in northern Illinois-serving nearly 1,500 families a week and annually distributing about four million pounds of food. In addition to weekly food distributions, the pantry expands its reach through several programs, including door-to-door food deliveries to seniors, a dedicated pantry at a nearby middle school for students, and an emergency clothing program that provides gently used clothing to families in need.

-30-