Lawyers in Illinois took a big bite out of the state’s hunger problem by surpassing a goal to raise one million meals during a two-week food and fundraising drive from February 18-March 1.

Lawyers Feeding Illinois, an initiative of the ISBA, has raised $211,474, enough for 1,057,370 meals, and the dollars and non-perishable food supplies are still flowing in, according to ISBA President John E. Thies, of Urbana.

“This effort, supported by hundreds of lawyers, will significantly impact the lives of an estimated 1.9 million Illinoisans who are considered food insecure,” said Thies, who created the initiative as part of his presidency. Lawyers Feeding Illinois is supported by Feeding Illinois and the Office of Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan. Thies’ wife Terry chaired the campaign.

The effort was also supported by Illinois judges, who placed collection containers for non-perishable food items in courthouses in Bloomington, Danville, Dixon, Edwardsville, Galesburg, Joliet, Kankakee, Mt. Vernon, Ottawa, Peoria, Quincy, Rockford, Rock Island, Urbana, and Wheaton. Additional support for the project came from Attorneys’ Title Guaranty Fund and the ISBA Mutual Insurance Company. Numerous local, ethnic and special bar associations also participated.

Information about the campaign, as well as how to donate, is available at www.lawyersfeedingil.org.

Feeding Illinois is a coalition of eight Feeding America food banks providing food to 1,885 agencies, including 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.