Kittery, ME, April 21, 2020 —Food banks are a lifeline for many in the US, and that need is proving even greater in 2020. Over the course of this past holiday shopping season, Good To-Go initiated its third #DoBetter campaign—donating one meal for every two purchased through its website with special one for one days from Black Friday to Cyber Monday. With the help of its customers, over 900 servings were distributed in April to Feeding America food banks in Maine, Chicago and Los Angeles—the timing could not have been better.
“Our main concern at the Food Bank right now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, is access to shelf-stable foods,” stated Kristen Miale, president of Good Shepherd Food Bank. “We had to pivot our model of distribution overnight to pre-packed boxes for our over 450 partner agencies to distribution via no/low contact methods. This meant an increased need for shelf-stable foods. Many of our purchased product orders have been severely delayed or even canceled, this donation from Good-to-Go couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.”
Feeding America’s mission is to feed America’s hungry through a nationwide network of member food banks while engaging the country in the fight to end hunger. Natural disasters and catastrophic events can occur anywhere and at anytime, as seen by the COVID19 outbreak, impacting nearly everyone. Many fellow Americans who have never needed to ask for help have found themselves in a tough situation, needing assistance.
“When we got together last Fall to pick the recipient of our third annual #DoBetter campaign, the group decided a food bank would be ideal,” said co-founder, David Koorits. “Food banks are the first line of defense when a natural disaster occurs. Since COVID has turned our world upside down, we’ve heard of food banks seeing a two-fold increase in demand. Food is essential for life and we’re grateful that we’ve been able to help in a small way.”
Previous #DoBetter campaigns have provided over 1600 meals to folks in need through partnerships with hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico and veteran-led Team Rubicon. This year, customers chose between three food banks associated with Feeding America: Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, Greater Chicago Food Depository, or Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine.
