
United Way fights for everyone in our community to have nutritious food.
33,340 people in Champaign County are food insecure. Many of those affected by food insecurity are senior citizens, rural residents, veterans or kids. Through the Farmers Feeding Families program, United Way of Champaign County focuses on reducing hunger and its associated health issues in our community.
Every year, Sage Farms helps United Way plant corn and beans on 80 acres of land to fund five local programs that provide food to Champaign County residents. Thanks to all the input and labor that is donated by agribusinesses, all of the profits go directly to the local programs.
As a result of Farmers Feeding Families, United Way of Champaign County has been able to increase our funding of local food programs by 31 percent! This includes huge wins for our community in the form of 91,210 nutritional meals provided by a network of local food pantries, 50,000 home-delivered and congregate meals for senior citizens and a mobile market that provides fresh vegetables to 400 low income families.
Food plays a large role in maintaining a healthy life. United Way believes everyone, in every corner and county of our community should have access to healthy food for themselves and their families. Since 2014, nearly $100,000 has been raised through the Farmers Feeding Families program! We can’t stop now, and we won’t stop. With your help, we can do even more. Join the fight!
We are always looking for farmers and landowners who would like to partner with us. Contact Sue Grey for more information.
"We're sitting here in Illinois, with some of the richest ground in the world. There's no need for someone here to be looking for something to eat."
Perry "Pete" Sage, Thomasboro Farmer
Preventing hunger, one harvest at a time
United Way works with a network of local programs who are dedicated to improving the health of our community. Five of these programs work to prevent hunger by providing food to our neighbors: as hot home-delivered meals for our seniors, in a specialized food pantry for those with illness, and in over 25 food pantries. This network of programs works to meet the unique food needs of everyone in our county. This program falls under our Health building block.
Our Partners
We'd like to extend a sincere thanks to those who donated inputs, labor, or funds to the Farmers Feeding Families effort:
Sage Farms
Pete and Marcia Sage
Gary Sage
Spencer Sage
Evan Huls
Jerry Evans
Chad Barnes
Matt Birkey
Tab Carmein
Joe Cannon
Dan Duitsman
Paul Duitsman
Chris Doenitz
Kris Ehler
Mitch Fruhling
Jeremy Hogan
Les Hovlen
Paul Klein
Kelly Loschen
Charles Myerscough
Richard & Linda Parnell
Gavin Pearson
Amy Murray Sage
Brian Stark
Greg Suits
Rick Swearingen
Scott Williamson
Rick Wolken
Craig Wyenn
AgriGold
BASF
Cargill
Carmien Farms
COUNTRY Financial
Doenitz Farms
Ehler Bros. Co.
Farm Credit Illinois
Gifford State Bank
Illini FS
Illinois FBFM Association
Klein Farms
Monsanto
Myerscough Farms
On Track Farming
Parnell Farms
Shaff Implement
Sloan Implement
The Andersons
Wolken Farms