CHAMPAIGN, IL (Chambana Today) — Over 25,000 residents of Champaign County, including nearly 20% children, routinely experience food insecurity. These individuals struggle to access the nutritious food necessary for an active, healthy life.

To tackle this issue, Healthy Champaign County is hosting its 4th Annual Feeding Champaign County Food Summit on March 26, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the I Hotel and Illinois Conference Center in Champaign. The summit will bring together community leaders from various sectors, including government, social services, education, faith-based groups, and healthcare organizations, along with food pantries and farmers, to collaborate on addressing the county’s food access challenges.

The summit will feature workshops focused on action items for future program development, with a resource fair offering opportunities for participants to promote their own programs and explore new partnerships.

This year’s event will also include a keynote address by Julie Pryde, former administrator of the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. Pryde will reflect on her three decades of service and how her work has impacted public health throughout Illinois.

Food security programs face growing challenges, with new political headwinds threatening their survival. But the issue remains a pressing one, both locally and nationally, and solutions require long-term, sustained commitment.

The 2026 Feeding Champaign County Food Summit is sponsored by Healthy Champaign County and its partners, including the City of Champaign, City of Urbana, Champaign-Urbana Public Health District, Common Ground Food Co-op, CU City Farms, United Way of Champaign County, and many other local organizations.

For more information, or to register, visit healthychampaigncounty.org/food-summit.