A COMING CRISIS

Why the WSOY Community Food Drive Matters More Than Ever.

Decatur, IL — July 17, 2025 - Every fall, the WSOY Community Food Drive brings Macon County together for one goal: to fight hunger. But this year, the need is more urgent than ever. Food pantries across our community are facing a perfect storm—increased demand, fewer resources, and a rise in families teetering on the edge of crisis.

A Vital Lifeline for Over 20 Pantries

The WSOY Community Food Drive is the single largest fundraiser for over 20 food pantries and feeding programs across Macon County. These organizations depend on the food drive to stock their shelves and keep families fed throughout the year.

And with 14.7% of Macon County households facing food insecurity*—that’s over 15,000 people—the support provided through this effort is not just helpful. It’s essential.

A Growing, Hidden Crisis: ALICE Families

One of the fastest-growing populations turning to food pantries is known as ALICE: Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. These are people we all know—working families earning just above the poverty line but not enough to cover basic needs like food, housing, childcare, and healthcare.

In Macon County, 26% of families are ALICE households. That’s 1 in 4 families** living one emergency away from falling into poverty. A single car repair or unexpected medical bill could mean the difference between stability and food insecurity—and many ALICE families don’t qualify for federal assistance.

Pantries Are Facing a Perfect Storm

Right now, local food pantries are being hit from every direction:

• The expiration of a $1.2 million USDA grant has cut off access to fresh meat, dairy, and produce.

• Federal cuts to key support programs have left gaps in services for the most vulnerable.

• Food prices are rising, while donation dollars aren’t going as far.

• The economy continues to struggle, pushing more families with young children and more seniors on fixed incomes into crisis.

“We are on the edge of a real crisis,” says Brian Byers, co-founder of the WSOY Community Food Drive. “Food pantries are telling us they’re seeing more need than ever before—and they have fewer resources to meet it. This isn’t a community that allows a child to go to bed hungry. Not on our watch.”

You Can Help

Every single dollar and non-perishable food item collected during the WSOY Community Food Drive goes directly to local food pantries. It’s the most efficient, high-impact way to make a difference right here at home.

“Community support is the heartbeat of the WSOY Community Food Drive,” says co-founder Kevin Breheny. “Every act of generosity helps us care for our neighbors and reminds us what’s possible when Decatur comes together.”

How to Give

The 2025 WSOY Community Food Drive returns Friday, October 3rd from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Kroger on Rt. 36 in Decatur.

Ways to donate:

• Online: wsoyfooddrive.com

• Text: WSOY to 26989

• Venmo: @UWDecatur

• Checks: Payable to United Way c/o WSOY Community Food Drive, mailed to 201 W. Eldorado St., Decatur, IL 62522

• In-person: Bring donations to Kroger on October 3rd

• Phone lines open all day during the drive

One Day. One Community. One Mission.

This isn’t just another food drive or a community tradition. It’s a community standing up for its most vulnerable neighbors. It’s a chance to say: not in our backyard—not to our families, not to our kids, not to our seniors.

Give today. Every gift matters. Every can counts.Visit www.wsoyfooddrive.com to learn how you can be part of the solution.

*Feeding America - Map the Meal Gap Macon County

**United For Alice