Support food access for Illinoisians with ACES’ Orange & Blue Days
This spring, the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will participate in a campuswide crowdfunding initiative known as Orange & Blue Days, inviting community members, alumni, and friends to help the college advance a core part of its mission: strengthening food access across Illinois.
The three-day campaign — March 4-6 — uplifts the Extension Nutrition Security and Food Systems Fund, established to ensure that Illinois families can access healthy food and trusted nutrition guidance. In a moment when food-insecure households are struggling with changes to SNAP funding and the elimination of SNAP-Education programs, the need has never been greater.
The fund supports highly impactful programs and partnerships developed by Illinois Extension, the outreach arm of the College of ACES and a vital part of the college’s land-grant mission. These longstanding programs include:
- Eat.Move.Save educational resources: Empowering families and professionals with practical tools to build healthy habits, manage food budgets, and make informed choices.
- Find Food IL: A multilingual, statewide resource connecting residents to emergency food sites, SNAP and WIC retailers, meal programs, and more.
- Community-based partnerships: Collaborative efforts that address local food gaps and strengthen neighborhood food systems.
“Extension staff are deeply embedded in communities across the state, where they deliver research-based programs and build local partnerships to meet their neighbors’ needs,” said Jennifer McCaffrey, assistant dean and program leader for Health and Community Wellness in Extension. “Through these personal relationships, we know our neighbors are struggling with food access in cities, rural communities, and everywhere in between. The tools and partnerships we’ve built have been designed and shown to deliver meaningful change. We’re excited to invite the public to help support our efforts through Orange & Blue Days.”
On the college’s devoted Orange & Blue day, March 6, the goal is to secure 102 donors, symbolizing the 102 Illinois counties served by Extension. But gifts to the fund can be made anytime from now through the conclusion of the three-day event (March 4-6). Donors can even inspire additional generosity by offering matching or challenge gifts.
“We know our alumni and stakeholders care as much as we do about communities across Illinois,” said College of ACES Dean Germán Bollero. “We hope you’ll save the date for March 6 and give so that, together, we can ensure every child and every family can access the food and resources they need to thrive.”