This paper examines emergency food provider networks in rural southern Illinois. An overview focuses on recent research reports on hunger in America, official federal emergency food assistance policy and criticisms of that policy, and the role of the private sector in emergency food distribution. The review details the disagreements on policy and programs that existed between the Reagan administration and critics of the federal emergency food assistance efforts. A survey of primarily church-based food pantries and soup kitchens in four rural southern Illinois counties was conducted, aimed at discovering which viewpoint was more accurate. The 15 respondents were paid staff or volunteer leaders with 1-24 years experience in hunger work. Survey findings closely resembled the picture painted by administration critics. Respondents reported growing hunger in southern Illinois, an awareness of the "new poor" as recipients of emergency food, and significant food distribution problems related to conflicts between the needs of large bureaucratic organizations (government and donor corporations) and those of small church-based community groups. Respondents ascribed the increased need for their services to effects of federal budget cuts, unemployment, and underemployment, as opposed to administration claims that surplus commodities and corporate food waste have created increased demand for emergency food. Few providers offered programming that promoted the concept of self-help. This report contains 61 references, a list of 24 recent reports on hunger in America, a tabulation of Aid to Families with Dependent Children and food stamp benefits by state, and the survey instrument. (SV)