The Illinois Pork Producers Association, the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, the Illinois Soybean Association, the Illinois Association of Meat Processors, and the Central Illinois Foodbank are all part of the program.

Each day, Illinois food banks provide access to healthy and nutritious food in an effort to keep families across Illinois from going to bed hungry. The Pork Power partners are working together to provide 400,000 servings of pork to those most in need.

"As grocery prices are increasing, the need for good quality protein at food banks is also increasing," says Phil Borgic, a pork producer from Nokomis and current IPPA President. "We're excited about the Pork Power partnership, and think pork producers throughout Illinois will embrace this program. Even though pork producers are struggling, we recognize that other people are struggling too, and this is a way to give back to their community and their neighbors."

Pork Power will officially launch with the first pork donation to the CIFB on June 5. The CIFB will host an open house on June 5, Community Hunger Awareness Day from 4:30 – 7:00 p.m. at the CIFB warehouse in Springfield. The open house will include exhibits and tours to highlight the Pork Power partnership as one step towards meeting the ongoing needs of the Illinois Second Harvest Food Banks to provide food assistance to the communities they serve.

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