“I came to earth not to be served, but to serve”

Mark 10:45

Realizing the critical food insecurity that would increase as a result from unemployment due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, in March, the National Philoptochos Executive Board approved immediate disbursements to two food distribution organizations:

• $25,000 to Feeding America
• $25,000 to Meals on Wheels America

Hunger in America

Millions of children and families living in America face hunger and food insecurity every day. According to the USDA’s 2019 Household Food Insecurity in the United States report, more than 37 million people in the United States struggle with hunger.

The Feeding America network is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States including in disasters and national emergencies. Read about how they are responding to coronavirus here. Some response efforts have included:

• Building an inventory of emergency food boxes to distribute to food banks across the country as the need for food assistance increases
• Providing emergency grants to food banks to support local response efforts 
• Safely continuing our distribution of food and non-food and household items like cleaning supplies, diapers and personal care products

Meals on Wheels America: America’s seniors were already at risk. When COVID-19 hit, a staggering 89% of Meals on Wheels programs reported increased demand for meals, practically overnight. 79% of them saw their demand double, all while stay-at-home orders and social distancing guidelines forced significant modifications in their core structure and service model. 

Over the last five months, charitable acts of all shapes and sizes helped protect millions of seniors during a nationwide pandemic. Meals on Wheels was able to serve 56% more meals per week, and your generosity also enabled telephone check-ins to let seniors know they were not alone. Banding together in resilience and unity, we were able to distribute over $25 million to local providers on the front lines of the crisis where it was needed most.