Food at school pantry

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) — The Midwest Food Bank is scaling back distribution, and local food pantries are dealing with food shortages as a result. 

The Midwest Food Bank provides food to 457 nonprofits in central and eastern Illinois. The executive director at the Bloomington-Normal location told WAND News that it has fewer dates and open slots for nonprofits to pick up food.

The Bloomington food bank provides fresh produce and shelf-stable items to several food pantries in the Decatur area, serving as the largest contributor to the Salvation Army of Macon County and the Northeast Community Fund. 

Sharon Bunch, assistant director of the Northeast Community Fund, said that their last two pickups from the food bank were canceled because of a food shortage. 

"The previous month, we had over 22,000 pounds of food, [which] was over five visits. The month of May, so far, with the food shortage, we've only been able to visit two times. And that was 7,800 pounds of food," she said. 

Major Randy Summit, executive director of the Salvation Army of Macon County, said they are now dipping into WSOY funds to purchase food from Kroger to stock their pantry. 

"$7,000, which we just spent, that will last us just barely until the end of the month. It'll all be gone by first week in June ... in about 10, 12 days that will all be gone," he said. 

This happens as both pantries are seeing exponential increases in clients. The Salvation Army saw a 20% increase between 2024 and 2025, and is now serving up to 50 families each time the pantry is open. The Northeast Community Fund saw a 42% increase in patrons between 2024 and 2025, and is now serving an average of 196 people every day. 

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