More than 50 million Americans struggle with food insecurity and regularly visit food pantries. Prior to COVID-19, that number was 37 million, and in the past year, it has risen to 54 million…over 1 in 8 Americans and 1 in 6 children are impacted. With an increased problem with food waste, over 40% of the food produced in the United States ends up in the trash. Buckingham Foundation is partnering with Move for Hunger to change these numbers!
We are excited to launch Move for Hunger, a national program which addresses food insecurity and food waste, at seven Buckingham sites for a pilot program. We will evaluate the initiative throughout the year to assess expanding the program to other sites.
Our site teams will provide information and food supply bags to residents who are moving out and encourage them to leave their nonperishables and canned goods in the bag. Bags will be collected by maintenance teams and will be picked up and delivered to a local food bank by our Move for Hunger partners.
Move for Hunger delivered more than 3 million pounds of food and provided 2.5 million meals to struggling families last year. The program will provide the opportunity to showcase our core value of community involvement, highlight our teams in action and provide another solid example of Buckingham’s commitment to philanthropy. Our pilot sites include:
CityWay (Indianapolis, IN): Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Midwest Food Bank, and others
Cottages of Anderson (Anderson, IN): Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Midwest Food Bank, and others
Mosaic at Levis Commons (Perrysburg, OH): Toledo Northwestern Ohio Food Bank, Inc.
Providence at Old Meridian (Carmel, IN): Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Midwest Food Bank, and others
Reserve at William’s Glen (Zionsville, IN): Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, Midwest Food Bank, and others
Rosemont Vinings Ridge (Atlanta, GA): Alive Ministries Inc., Center for Family Resources, and others
Whetstone Flats (Nashville, TN): Nourish Food Bank - Smyrna
Residents at our pilot sites can donate many of the same items you take to a food drive or food bank. Items we accept include:
· Canned vegetables, beans and fruits
· Canned stews and soups
· Canned tuna and meat
· Pasta, rice and sauces
· Baby food/formula
· Dry beans
· Flour and baking mixes
· Cereal and oatmeal
· Peanut butter, jam and jelly
· Crackers and cookies
Often, our residents ask what they can leave behind and donate. Our initiative with Move for Hunger will give us the opportunity to support our community in a hands-on way while ensuring residents that their donation is making an impact. Many thanks to our site teams for their willingness to enthusiastically support the program. And thank you to Move for Hunger for partnering with us to reduce food waste and fight hunger in our local communities!
