PEORIA – Students at Bradley University are taking action to tackle food insecurity in their community. Their recent fundraiser attracted over a hundred participants, showing strong local support.
Senior Kullan Le Blanc shared a striking fact from their research: one in seven people in the area struggles with food access. To address this issue, the students teamed up with Sophia’s Kitchen and Brienzo’s Pizza and Bar for a campaign called “Peoria Feeds Peoria.”
Le Blanc explains, “We’re partnering a nonprofit with a for-profit business to fight food insecurity in Peoria.” Their study highlighted a major hurdle: transportation. Many locals and even Bradley students find it tough to reach grocery stores due to unreliable public transit.
Since 2023, Sophia’s Kitchen has experienced an 81% surge in visitors. Manager Courtney Dozard reported, “We’re seeing more families and children. Our highest number served in a day was 700.”
While the final tally from the fundraiser is still underway, 15% of the proceeds will aid Sophia’s Kitchen. Dozard emphasized the importance of raising awareness: “Not everyone knows about Sophia’s Kitchen. We want to promote it to help people and attract donations.”
The students are determined to keep the conversation going about hunger in Peoria. Recent statistics illustrate how this issue is not unique to their town; according to a recent report from Feeding America, food insecurity affects 10.5% of Americans, which shows the national scale of the problem.
Le Blanc and his peers hope their efforts will inspire more people to take action against hunger, fostering a sense of community and collaboration in a time of need.
For more on food insecurity and local initiatives, you can refer to the latest research from Feeding America.
Source link
food insecurity Peoria,Bradley University students,Sophia's Kitchen,Peoria Feeds Peoria,hunger relief Illinois,Kullan Le Blanc,Courtney Dozard,Imani McClay,WEEK,25News
