Georgia United Foundation Annual Food Drive Provides 44,000 Meals for Local Community
In Georgia, 13 percent of people struggle with food insecurity, which means they cannot afford to buy enough food for themselves and their families, often leading to difficult choices between paying bills or buying groceries.
To help bridge this food insecurity gap, Georgia United Foundation's 2023 Can Hunger food and donation drive raised awareness about hunger in local communities and collected almost $10,000 in donations, which will provide approximately 44,000 meals for families, children, and seniors in need.
The campaign, which kicked off August 24, nearly doubled its goal of collecting $5,000 in monetary donations.
"Our communities are facing a crisis when it comes to food insecurity, and it is important to act fast to help those in need," said Director of Community Development Kim Wall. "These donations have made a huge difference in putting healthy meals on the plates of folks who are burdened the most with the high costs of living. It is vital to address food insecurity in our communities and Can Hunger is designed to help those who are struggling, and we are extremely grateful for our stakeholders’ support and donations."
The foundation, which is the philanthropic arm of Georgia United Credit Union, partnered with 11 local food banks for the 12th annual Can Hunger: Atlanta Community Food Bank, Food Bank of NE Georgia, Good Neighbors Homeless Shelter, CarePointe Ministries, Rockdale Emergency Relief, Sharing and Caring Food Bank, The Place at Forsyth, Dalton Greater Works, Laurens Baptist Association Food Bank, Helping in His Name Ministries and NETWorks Tucker.
Through the generosity of Georgia United members, team members, workplace partners and community members Can Hunger has provided more than 520,000 items for local food banks in the communities that Georgia United serves since its inception in 2012.
Can Hunger began as a traditional non-perishable food drive but the campaign’s approach has now shifted to focus on monetary donations. Monetary donations are more impactful because food banks can harness the power of bulk purchasing and also respond faster to fulfil specific needs for in-demand items.