Some 1.9 million Illinoisans are considered “food insecure,” meaning they lack the ability to secure adequate food. The problem is especially acute for Illinois children, with one in four or over 600,000 children experiencing food insecurity.

These dire statistics were the impetus behind Lawyers Feeding Illinois, a new program announced by ISBA President John E. Thies, a shareholder at the Urbana law firm of Webber & Thies, P.C. Under the leadership of his wife Terry, Lawyers Feeding Illinois kicked off on Nov. 14 with a special event featuring Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.

The program’s goal is noble and simple: collect food and raise funds for distribution to the eight Feeding Illinois member food banks. Law firms and legal organizations statewide will be encouraged to participate in a food and fundraising drive held during the final week in February 2013.

Even the choice of timing has a purpose. Most people loosen their purse strings during the holidays, according to President Thies. But feeding the hungry doesn’t start and stop between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. The campaign, they believe, will help call the public’s attention to the fact that donations are needed year-round.

“No one should ever go hungry because they can’t afford to put food on the table,” Thies says. “Even with the federal breakfast and lunch programs for children, and the federal food stamps program for families and individuals, there are still residents in Illinois who go hungry every day.”

Thies has formed a Lawyers Feeding Illinois task force of 17 ISBA lawyers to oversee the campaign. The committee works closely with the Attorney General’s office and with Feeding Illinois. A website, www.lawyersfeedingil.org, has been established to provide updates as the program unfolds.

Feeding Illinois is a coalition of eight Feeding America food banks providing food to nearly 2,000 food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters that feed 1.4 million residents across the state. The organization is committed to educating people about the role of food banks in addressing hunger and raising awareness of the need to devote more resources and attention to hunger issues. Feeding Illinois is made up of Central Illinois Foodbank, Eastern Illinois Foodbank, Greater Chicago Food Depository, Northern Illinois Food Bank, the Peoria Area Food Bank, River Bend Foodbank, St. Louis Area Foodbank and Tri-State Foodbank.