McHenry County Democratic Chairman Goes Hungry

McHenry County Democratic Party Chairman Mike Bissett learned first-hand just how difficult it is to focus and concentrate on work when you don’t have enough food. He just ended a six-day hunger fast.

“It was a way for me to experience what it’s really like to be hungry. Kids are trying to go to school and learn and if they’re hungry, they can’t think,” he said.

Bissett began a fast to raise awareness of hunger on April 4. He planned to fast until the April 14, McHenry County Democratic Party Thomas Jefferson Dinner, however, he ended the fast early, on April 10.

“When fasting, your ability to think declines. I couldn’t function effectively in my job, but that pales in comparison to the kid who is habitually not getting enough to eat,” Bissett said.

Hunger will be the focus for the Democratic Party of McHenry County’s annual dinner on April 14. The keynote speaker will be Pete Schaefer, president and CEO of the Northern Illinois Food Bank.  The dinner will also honor members of the McHenry County Building Trades Council who have been donating their time to create a new home for the Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Food Pantry.

“It was surprising to me when I started looking at the facts and figures. According to the Northern Illinois Food Bank statistics, one of eight people in the state of Illinois use a food pantry at some time in the year. I thought that was an astonishing number,” Bissett said. 

Bissett said hunger is not a partisan issue, but he was taken aback by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s comments that he is not concerned about the very poor because there are programs in place to help them.

“Those programs are the ones they are trying to cut. If programs are cut, we expect the need for food pantries to increase,” he said. He noted that many people who use food pantries are getting government food benefits, but the food benefits are not enough for an entire month.

Bissett volunteers by picking up food from donors and delivering to food pantries, but he said his fast solidified his interest in the issue of hunger.

“Whether it’s  helping a local food pantry or getting involved on a national level, we need to be making sure people get enough to eat,” he said.