SquareTrade Selects Feeding America for $25,000 Donation
As part of Allstate’s celebration of volunteerism and giving back ,Bring Out the Good Month, SquareTrade, an Allstate company, selected Feeding America to receive a $25,000 grant from The Allstate Foundation.
SquareTrade employees nominated organizations who were having a particularly positive impact amid the global pandemic and voted on three finalists to receive the donation. Feeding America received over 68% of the final vote.
Why Did SquareTrade Choose Feeding America?
As SquareTrade’s Sr. Director, Field Operations, Josh Ballard, wrote:
I work each Thursday night at our local food bank and have seen first-hand the impact that this pandemic has had. Our average disbursement is 35-40 patrons. In the last four weeks we have doubled that number and last night we distributed food to 95 patrons, many of whom were first time recipients.
The other number that is deeply concerning is the family size. Our average family size prior to the pandemic was 2.3 per household. Last night we hit five which means more children are being affected by this.
Lastly, while the donations have increased, local restaurants and chains who typically donate (ex: Panera Bread) have closed, leaving a gap in items for distribution. Our foodbank now leans heavily on Feeding America to supply us with the funds to purchase bulk produce and grains for our patrons weekly.
Feeding America is a national organization that is being stretched significantly now and likely even more as this pandemic continues. I think this is a good spot for our grant.
What Is Feeding America’s Mission?
Feeding America is a network of more than 200 food banks including soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters and more, feeding over 46 million people. As the country’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, its aim is to to end hunger nationwide. This mission is even more critical during the COVID-19 pandemic, where loss of jobs means food insecurity is on the rise.
Allstate’s Support of Local Food Banks
Beyond the $25,000 grant to Feeding America, Allstate agency owners have organized more than 75 virtual food drives to raise money for local food banks nationwide. It’s estimated The Allstate Foundation could provide as much as $1 million in Helping Hands Grants for additional food bank support.
