BGOLDN’s Post

The rising costs of living paired with the expiration of some Pandemic benefits have intensified food insecurity across southwestern Pennsylvania as families work to meet basic needs. Calls to our PA 211 Southwest resource hotline has seen a 50% increase in food assistance inquiries over the past year. Between 2021 and 2022, the annual survival budget for a family of four in Pennsylvania rose to nearly $89,000 from $80,000. “This budget reflects only the basics and no extras,” says Jen Schuchart, director of meeting basic needs. “Folks who are working full-time or multiple jobs are having to make these difficult choices of whether to pay rent or feed themselves and their children. That’s 40% of our five-county region.” Read more to learn how United Way and local nonprofit organizations are working hand-in-hand to fight food insecurity in our community: https://lnkd.in/ez6myb4Y.

Loaves & Fishes tackles two problems with one solution. The local nonprofit operates as a food rescue, collecting excess food from grocery stores and other sites to deliver to over 100 agencies that help those in need. This process aims to eliminate food waste while addressing food insecurity in Greenville County. “At the end of the day, it’s moving surplus food from where it’s not needed to where it is needed,” said Tessa May, executive director of Loaves & Fishes. In 2023, Loaves & Fishes rescued approximately 2.7 million pounds of food. May said the amount is equivalent to more than $9 million worth of food redistributed into the community.

Another city (and state) on the Food Rescue Hero network map! Chicago Food Rescue mobilizes Chicagoans to get perfectly good food onto the tables of the community, instead of letting the food go to waste. If you're in #Chicago, download the Chicago Food Rescue app! #FoodRescue #FoodRecovery #EndHunger #EndFoodWaste

Food insecurity is a worldwide problem that manifests itself locally in all our communities. Over the past few years, Curcio Webb, LLC’s holiday donation has been made to Chef José Andrés World Central Kitchen program. The World Central Kitchen teams are first on the spot wherever hot meals and human kindness are needed. Karen McKeon volunteered for a ½ day volunteer shift Thursday, June 27th at Mercer Street Friends Food Bank. In 2021, Karen directed her Curcio Webb charitable donation to Mercer Street Friends. At the time she shared that “the Mercer Street Friends Food Bank channels 5.5 million pounds of food and groceries annually to a network of over 100 local food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens, meal sites, schools, senior and disabled programs, and low-income housing sites. Our food distribution and hunger prevention programs reach over 60,000 people who face the pain and indignity of hunger.” Five point five MILLION pounds annually—how impressive is that? The day Karen volunteered at the Food Bank they needed help labeling bags for “SHUP” (their Send HUnger Packing program). SHUP is a "meal bag program that helps feed food insecure students over the weekend when they lack access to school meals." It distributes 10,000 bags a month to students in need throughout Mercer County, New Jersey. Karen, your in-the-trenches work at the Food Bank is so important. Thank you! It’s not just students in Mercer County, New Jersey who run the risk of going hungry on the weekends. Curcio Webb is going to address local food insecurity for children at our upcoming annual company meeting. Brian Pieper and his wife Katie are spearheading an opportunity for us to pack bags of food for children to eat during the weekend. They’re tapping into a local program that helps kids get meals on weekends i.e., where they are already participating in a meals-at-school program. Are there suggestions from our wider community re programs that deserve our attention? Where do you like to volunteer your time and treasure -- in order to "Send Hunger Packing"? #foodbanks #foodinsecurity #givingback

Did you know that 1 in 8 people in #WNY experience food insecurity? #September is #HungerActionMonth - a time for all of us to take a stand against hunger in our communities. At FeedMore WNY, we rely on individual and corporate donors and volunteers to make our mission possible. From delivering meals to homebound neighbors, organizing a food or fund drive, or holding a Lunch & Learn at your office about food insecurity - there are no shortage of ways to get involved. Take action today at www.feedmorewny.org .

Give to the Max Day is here! Today is a celebration of the incredible abundance of our community. It is a day to look within ourselves to acknowledge and share the unique abundance in each of our lives: How am I showing up for my neighbors today? How can I challenge attitudes of scarcity, when I know that our community has each other's backs? What can I do today to make sure my neighbors know they can count on our community safety net? 2024 is the hungriest year our community has ever seen. CEAP is on track for a record amount of food served as we see the highest need for our Food Market in our 52-year history. At the same time, we know that many neighbors face barriers - like mobility challenges and lack of access to transportation – that prevent them from reaching CEAP’s doors. That’s where “CEAP On the Move” steps in.  No matter the barrier, CEAP is here to fill gaps in access. We need to know – are you with us in the fight against hunger?  www.givemn.org/CEAP24

PuroClean mobilized its franchise network across North America, through its PuroClean Cares®: Season of Giving campaign, to host toy drives, assemble meals for food pantries, feed homeless communities, support group homes, and more. https://lnkd.in/dUMi6jgm

Boosting support for food relief where it’s needed most. 👩👩👧👦📍 We’re happy to share that since 2020, $56 million has been invested in strengthening local, regional and statewide food relief in Victoria: 🥑 $4.5 million in funding through the Community Food Relief Program (Announced today!) 🍋 $1.5 million in 2024-25 to support operations of six regional foodshares 🌽 $10 million to Foodbank Victoria for new hubs 🍉 Ongoing funding of $3.3 million each year to Foodbank Victoria 🥕 $1.25 million in grants to community organisations 🥪 $2.2 million to FareShare to update facilities 🍏 $2.9 million to Shepparton Foodshare to construct a purpose-built warehouse 🍇 $1 million to Bendigo Foodshare to build a new Community Food Hub For more information about food relief initiatives, visit: https://lnkd.in/gYeViqh4

As part of our support of critical wildfire recovery efforts in the Los Angeles region, QCD general managers across the U.S. collectively decided to pool their resources from a recent warehouse productivity incentive program and add them to Golden State Foods and the GSF Foundation’s contributions.   “With QCD teams operating in many hubs across the U.S., including Los Angeles, we see firsthand the devastation that natural disasters wreak upon residents and the communities where we work and live,” said Shane Blanchette, Group Vice President, Operations, QCD. “We’re called upon to act—to leverage our resources to make the biggest impact. It’s inspiring to see our facility leaders throughout the country rise to the occasion with unified generosity.”   #QualityCustomDistribution #GoldenStateFoods #GSFFoundation #wildfirerecovery #RedCross #ymcala #LosAngeles