Feeding America, a national hunger-relief organization, announced a more than 1 million-pound food donation by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Thursday.
“The commitment from our supporting partners helps make Feeding America’s work possible and provides hungry Americans with food, hope and dignity every day,” said Feeding America president and CEO, Bob Aiken. “Thanks to the generosity of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, this most recent donation will provide the equivalent of 625,000 much-needed meals.”
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The Church’s donation has provided canned goods that include fruit, vegetables and legumes. The food will be distributed to families in need at community pantries, soup kitchens and shelters across the United States.
Hungry families in Utah will also be fed; the Utah Food Bank is a member of the Feeding America network and will receive 250,000 pounds of food as part of the Church’s million-pound contribution. "This donation from the LDS Church could not have come at a better time for the Utah Food Bank," said Utah Food Bank CEO, Karen Sendelback. "The food will help fill a large need over the summer for our fellow-Utahans who struggle to put food on the table each day. We are so very grateful."
The nonprofit, Chicago-based aid organization supports over 200 food banks across the country. Feeding America will distribute the food based on three factors: the number of clients served by a network food bank, the level of poverty of its clients and the food bank’s need for a particular food product on the list of donated items.
Humanitarian relief by the Church is made possible by millions of Latter-day Saints who desire to follow Jesus Christ’s example to care for the poor and needy and give of their time and money to help feed the hungry throughout the world.
The Church has provided support to many individual Feeding America food banks in the past, but within the last few years, the Church has increased national donations. The donations are coordinated through the Church’s welfare system, which includes canneries, farms and factories throughout the United States that provide food and commodities for those in need.
For more information, view the Feeding America news release.