URBANA, Ill. (WAND) — Eastern Illinois Food Bank welcomed two hundred volunteer to their warehouse on Thursday to help repack eggs, potatoes, apples and cereal into boxes for their mobile distribution routes. 

Amanda Borden, Vice President of Distribution at Eastern Illinois Food Bank, said that Operation Orange benefits the whole community. "Not only is it an event that helps us to get food repackaged, to send out to people who are facing food insecurity, but it's also just a lot of fun, and it's a great way for the community to get engaged with the food bank."

Borden said with the rise in food insecurity across the state, organizations and services like theirs are becoming more and more vital. "We have seen a pretty big increase in people needing food assistance. Our network of food pantries has seen a 90% increase in just the last two years."

Borden said that many of the areas they service are food deserts, meaning that there is limited to no access to nutritional food. Eastern Illinois Food Bank's mission is to do what they can to decrease food insecurity. "Now more than ever, it's very important that we're here and we're going to continue doing what we've done for the last 40 years, which is to serve our community and make sure that everybody has access to nutritious food."

Eastern Illinois Food bank is always accepting volunteers and donations.

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