Marquette Bank, a locally-owned neighborhood bank, completed its ninth Annual Neighborhood Food Drive collecting 5,641 pounds of food. All donations were given to the Greater Chicago Food Depository (GCFD) and the Northern Illinois Food Bank (NIFB) where they will be distributed to local food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters in the Chicagoland area. Collection barrels were placed at all 22 Marquette Bank branch locations, and employees, customers and neighbors were encouraged to donate non-perishable food items. “Food insecurity is a persistent issue in the Chicagoland area,” Betty Harn, Executive Vice President, said. “Our neighborhood food drive has become a tradition and our employees and clients look forward to it each year.” Bank employees and their family members volunteered at the GCFD and Feed My Starving Children, sorting and packing food. The Neighborhood Food Drive is a part of the Marquette Neighborhood Commitment, where each quarter the bank focuses on a different area of need: shelter, hunger, education and health/wellness. To become more involved in the fight to end hunger, please visit the GCFD and NIFB websites at www.chicagofoodbank.org and www.northernilfoodbank.org. For more information about Marquette Bank, call 1-888-254-9500 or visit www.emarquettebank.com.