CHICAGO (WLS) — Hunger affects families throughout the year, but the holiday season can make it even harder for those struggling to keep food on the table.
ABC7 Chicago is launching its annual Feed the Love campaign, drawing attention to the serious and growing challenge of food insecurity across the Chicago area and northwest Indiana.
WATCH THE LOVE GROW
The Meal Meter below will be updated throughout the campaign.
Every dollar donated provides just over two meals.
Last year, ABC7 Chicago’s Feed the Love campaign generated more than $136,000 for local food pantries and food banks throughout the region.
DONATE TO YOUR LOCAL FOOD BANK
Use the links below to make a donation
FOOD BANK OF NORTHWEST INDIANA
NORTHERN ILLINOIS FOOD BANK
GREATER CHICAGO FOOD DEPOSITORY
On Friday, Nov. 6, ABC7 morning anchor Terrell Brown will join fellow ABC7 employees at the Greater Chicago Food Depository for a volunteer effort. Through Disney VoluntEARS, the team will sort and pack food for neighbors facing hunger.
Starting Thursday, Nov. 12, ABC7 will stage a “Feed the Love Takeover” benefiting three area food banks: the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Northern Illinois Food Bank and Food Bank of Northwest Indiana.
The Nov. 12 broadcast will include a special edition of Cooking Up a Storm with Tracy Butler. Rustic Road Farms Chef Marc Bernard and Northern Illinois Food Bank Chief Impact Officer Jen Lamplough will spotlight seasonal produce moving from farms to food banks, explain how it reaches local pantries and offer practical ways viewers can support hunger-relief efforts in their communities.
Throughout the holiday season, ABC7’s Leah Hope and Val Warner will report from food banks and pantries across the region. Their coverage will examine the rising need for food assistance, the effects of recent changes to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and eligibility, and the efforts underway to support families in need.
On Giving Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2026, ABC7 Meteorologist Tracy Butler will be joined by Kate Maehr of the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Julie Yurko of the Northern Illinois Food Bank and Victor Garcia of the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana. ABC7 is urging viewers to help fight hunger by donating to a local food bank.
ABC7’s Judy Hsu will highlight programs supported by the region’s food banks and explain how those organizations are working to provide for local families.
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About ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago
ABC7/WLS-TV Chicago is Chicago’s No. 1 local news source and most-watched television station. With highly rated daily newscasts spanning decades and the market’s largest social media presence, including more than 2.3 million Facebook followers, ABC7 Eyewitness News delivers breaking news, investigations, weather, politics, traffic and sports across multiple platforms to Chicago, the suburbs and Northwest Indiana.
The Associated Press named ABC7 the Best News Operation for four consecutive years. The station produces 41 hours of local news each week, along with Chicago’s only local weekday entertainment talk show, “Windy City Weekend,” and its highest-rated New Year’s Eve special. Award-winning programs such as “Our Chicago” celebrate the city’s diversity, while ABC7 remains the only Chicago station producing and broadcasting parades that reflect the area’s rich cultural history.
Along with town halls addressing current social issues, ABC7 has a longstanding tradition of broadcasting political candidate debates to help keep Chicago voters informed. The station’s community outreach includes annual Red Cross partnerships for life-saving blood drives and, most recently, leading an effort that raised more than $1.5 million for area food pantries.
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