Need food? A new campaign promotes bus access to Rockford food pantries
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — A partnership between Rockford’s Food Insecurity Task Force and Rockford Mass Transit District aims to increase access to food assistance through a campaign that promotes which bus routes connect directly to pantries across the city.
The agencies unveiled the new campaign on Thursday in front of the Rock River Valley Pantry, 421 S. Rockton Ave.
Advertisements on the sides of 41 RMTD buses read “Need Food?” Those ads then have QR codes that link to the Find Food Illinois Map, the Greater Rockford Pantry Coalition website and the University of Illinois Extension Office’s local page, which includes links to a bus route guide.
The same information is on the inside of buses and on 10 bus shelters.
“This means if you or someone you know needs food, you know exactly where to go and how to get there,” said Orlando Toatley, RMTD’s marketing and communications manager.
Funding for the campaign was provided by the Kjellstrom Family Foundation and an Illinois Department of Human Services Healing Illinois grant.
“Studies have shown that individuals without access to a personal vehicle are more likely to experience food insecurity, making it even more difficult to bridge the gap between transportation and food access,” said Tashara Grandys, SNAP-ed educator with the University of Illinois Extension. “Our hope is that this campaign helps address food insecurity in the Rockford area by increasing access to free food.”
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The task force was formed in October 2023 after the a group convened by the Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence identified food insecurity as a critical issue facing the city.
The task force is also exploring a mobile market, which operates like a mini grocery store on wheels and is modeled after a program in Milwaukee, said Ginny Barnett, who is part of the task force and the community engagement team at Rockford Public Schools.
Barnett said the new campaign is a “small but powerful step forward, making food more accessible in Rockford.”
Toatley said that reliable transportation and access to food should go hand-in-hand.
“We want the path to healthy, dependable nutrition to be clear,” Toatley said. “No one should be left hungry because they don’t have a ride.”
Resources
- See the Find Food Illinois Community Food Map
- Visit the Greater Rockford Pantry Coalition website
- See the Rockford Mass Transit District route guide
- Visit the University of Illinois Extension nutrition education page
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
