Pay Library Fines with Food Donations

patrons who owe fines for overdue materials can pay down their debt with canned goods and other nonperishable food donations during the library’s "Food for Fines" promotion in September.

Through Sept. 30, patrons will receive a $1 reduction in their owed fines for each nonperishable food item donated at the library. Donated items will be brought to the and the Northern Illinois Food Bank by program partners Von Sydow’s Moving and Storage, Inc., and Move for Hunger. More than 2,900 food items were collected at last year’s Food for Fines program in October 2011.

A list of "critically needed items" on the Northern Illinois Food Bank website suggests donations of canned or dried beans, canned tuna, processed cheese, soups, stews, peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables, cereal, flour, pasta, rice, oatmeal, condiments and beverages.

In fiscal year 2011, Northern Illinois Food Bank distributed nearly 35 million pounds of food, the equivalent of 29 million meals. It was named 2010 Food Bank of the Year by Feeding America.