DECATUR - With a half-dozen volunteers loading a record number of Christmas food baskets behind him, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin announced Thursday he will reintroduce his Hunger-Free Communities Act and expressed confidence it will pass after the new Congress convenes in January.

"The Democrats are in the majority now, and I happen to be a Democrat," Durbin said during a visit to Decatur's Northeast Community Fund. "That may help a little bit even though it's a bipartisan measure."

The bill, among other things, would establish a $50 million a year, five-year grant program promoting collaboration among anti-hunger groups and allow food banks to improve or expand their food storage areas and other infrastructure.

A version introduced by Durbin in May passed in the Senate earlier this month but was not considered in the House.

Jerry Pelz, director of the Northeast Community Fund, said he was glad to receive the senator, even as his agency began its largest ever distribution of Christmas food baskets.

"I'm glad he's in our corner," Pelz said. "Our demand goes up every month and every year."

Assistant Director David Hinkle said the agency will pass out 360 bushel baskets of food for Christmas after turning away about 250 families. By comparison, 310 baskets were given out last year, and 200 families were disappointed.

Pelz and Hinkle said the need is greater this year, in part because many lower-income families had unexpected expenses after the Nov. 30 ice storm.

Hinkle added that the agency has given out 11,564 regular food boxes so far this year, compared to 7,532 in 2005.

Also on hand for Durbin's visit was Kristy Gilmore, food solicitor for the Central Illinois Foodbank. The Springfield-based foodbank provides food to the Northeast Community Fund and 30 other agencies in Christian, Effingham, Macon, Fayette, Logan and Shelby counties and serves 21 counties in all.

Durbin said although people tend to focus on the needy during the holidays, hunger is a "12-month-a-year problem."

The Hunger-Free Communities Act also would set a goal of reducing the nation's "food insecurity" by half and direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study the problem twice over five years and make recommendations to reduce it.

Theresa Churchill can be reached at tchurchill@herald-review.com or 421-7978.