United Way of Whiteside County Launches Emergency Meal Program for Students

United Way of Whiteside County Launches Emergency Meal Program for Students
 

Program Provides Food to Children Affected by Federal SNAP Benefit Pause
 

Rock Falls, IL – November 5, 2025 – United Way of Whiteside County is launching an emergency weekend meals program beginning Friday, November 14th to support school-age children affected by the ongoing SNAP benefit pause. The program will provide four shelf-stable meals each Friday to students who qualify for free and reduced-price school lunch throughout public school districts in Whiteside County.

The Let's Feed Our Children: Emergency Winter Program is a direct response to the continuing food insecurity crisis facing local families. Each participating student will receive two breakfasts and two lunches to ensure they have nutritious food over the weekend when school meals are unavailable.

"Even though federal courts have ordered SNAP benefits to be reinstated, families are still in a challenging situation," said Keri Olson, Executive Director of United Way of Whiteside County. "Benefits will only restart at 50% of normal payments, and the federal government warns it could take weeks or even months for families to receive even these partial payments. We cannot stand by while children go hungry. This emergency program ensures tha our most vulnerable students have access to food right now when they need it most."

How the Program Works:

• Children must be registered for the program AND qualify for free or reduced-price school meals. Once registered, students will receive meals every Friday for as long as the program runs.
• Register at: www.uwwhiteside.org by Monday, November 10th to receive meals starting Friday, November 14th. 
• Meals will be discreetly distributed at participating schools on Fridays.
• All public school districts in Whiteside County are participating in this or other weekend food programs.

"This is truly a community effort," said Dawn Sherman Castillo, United Way of Whiteside County board chair. "We're partnering with our schools, mobilizing volunteers who helped with our summer lunch program, and relying on the incredible generosity of our donors to support these children during this crisis."

"We are deeply grateful to our donors whose compassion and commitment are making this program possible," said Olson. "Their support means hungry children will have food on their tables. We simply could not do this without them."

With the local food bank running low on supplies, United Way is purchasing most food at retail prices. The organization welcomes additional community support.

Community members can help by:

• Donating funds to support the program at www.uwwhiteside.org
• Volunteering to pack and deliver meals starting November 12th (sign up at www.uwwhiteside.org)
• Spreading the word to families who may need assistance

The program will continue until SNAP benefits are restored in Illinois or United Way funding is exhausted. Due to the emergency nature of this program, food allergies cannot be accommodated at this time.

This emergency program builds on United Way of Whiteside County's Let's Feed Our Children summer lunch program, which successfully provided more than 45,000 meals to children during summer break.

For questions about the program, contact the United Way office at (815) 625-7973 or email kolson@uwwhiteside.org. For help finding additional food resources in Whiteside County, call the 2-1-1 help hotline any time, 24/7.