EAST SAINT LOUIS, Ill. — Technology is helping folks with their daily lives find their basic needs. The Find Food IL Map is a digital tool created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it will likely stick around as food insecurity becomes more prevalent.
When the pandemic hit, many families found themselves grappling with a new reality – a reality where they suddenly required food assistance. The University of Illinois SNAP-Education program took note and recognized that existing community food resource maps were fragmented and scattered. This initiative aimed to streamline access, whether a person needed free meals or used some sort of benefit.
Nearly 34 million people are food insecure and 9 million children in the US don't know how they'll get their next meal according to the group No Kid Hungry.
"This service is important because it addresses food, insecurities, and nutrition insecurities," said Laquitsha Bejoile-Hayes, the metro-east Illinois Extension County Director. Bejoile-Hayes oversees the Illinois Extension programming, including the SNAP-Education program.
Before, families encountered barriers to finding publicly available maps that showed what organizations provided services or which retailers accepted benefits. In a nutshell, people had to be quite skilled in resource management if they received SNAP or LINK benefits, WIC, or senior citizen vouchers. Determining which stores accepted or even finding a farmers market where people can use vouchers or benefits seemed overwhelming. Now, it's as easy as searching on a map with the click of a button.
Users looking for food resources begin by entering the city or zip code where they want to view food resources. Using the filter button, they can then select which types of food resources they want to view and can filter further for specific types of resources within each category. Users can also select the map icon in the upper left corner to view the resources displayed in a list.
The food map also partners with the Illinois State Board of Education to locate meals for students, including during the summer and weekends.
To Bejoile-Hayes, it's about making sure that healthy food is available no matter someone's budget.
"Food is medicine," says Bejoile-Hayes. "It ties back to chronic illnesses, diseases, and all those types of things that heavily impact our communities."
The website is here and includes healthy and cultural recipes. It also includes places where you can get state services.