Hunger is on the rise in Illinois. According to new data from the national organization Feeding America, over 1.4 million Illinoisans received food assistance from the state’s eight food banks in 2009. That means one of every 10 people in the Prairie State needed assistance putting food on the table last year. Of those recipients, 42 percent were children.

Feeding Illinois, a coalition of state-based food banks, held a press conference in Springfield this morning to highlight the data. Pamela Molitoris, the executive director of the Central Illinois Food Bank, said her organization served 17,000 individuals per week across 21 counties. She highlighted the specific challenges rural families face obtaining fresh food, forcing many to choose between dinner and rent or utility bills. Watch it:

To tackle the problem of food insecurity, Feeding Illinois is pushing for the General Assembly to establish a commission on hunger in Illinois.