$3.5 Million Grant is Latest in Decade-Long Partnership
As a result of the pandemic, one in four children may face hunger, reaching an all-time high in child food insecurity in our nation. Today, Feeding America®, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, announced an additional $3.5 million grant from Morgan Stanley to help member food banks support households with children living in communities hardest hit by hunger. This contribution brings the donations by Morgan Stanley and its employees to more than $10.6 million for Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund and other food bank programs since March.
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, 26% of Black children and 18% of Latino children lived in a food insecure household, compared to 12% of white children. Feeding America estimates that an additional 6.8 million children could face hunger in 2020 as a result of this crisis – for a total of 18 million children.
To address this issue, more than 50 Feeding America member food banks focusing on child hunger in counties considerably afflicted by COVID-19 will receive grants from Morgan Stanley. Food banks will work with local community partners, such as school districts, health care clinics and housing authority complexes, to reach more households with children and respond more effectively in communities of color.
“We at Feeding America understand that we must build trust with diverse communities that are disproportionately affected by hunger in order to effectively address their needs,” said Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America. “With Morgan Stanley’s support, several of our member food banks will have the resources to deepen relationships with community partners who reach our most vulnerable populations. We are grateful for Morgan Stanley’s generous investment, which will help food banks focus on integrating equity in the work they do for communities in need.”
Feeding America will support member food banks in their efforts to better serve communities of color by providing cultural competence and equity training. In addition, the organization will help food banks identify community advocates and build connections with trusted local organizations to understand how they can more effectively reach and assist families experiencing food insecurity.
“Morgan Stanley and our Foundations have been dedicated to giving children a healthy start to life and fighting food insecurity is a crucial part of that commitment,” said Joan Steinberg, Global Head of Philanthropy at Morgan Stanley. “Communities of color have been hit hardest by the pandemic, so we are especially proud to support Feeding America in their efforts to deliver vital food services to families around the country who need it most.”
Morgan Stanley has a long-standing commitment to helping communities facing hunger and has donated more than $37 million to the Feeding America network in the last decade.
The Feeding America network serves more than 40 million people each year, including more than 12 million children. For more information on Feeding America’s child hunger efforts, visit https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america/child-hunger-facts.
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About Feeding America
Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 5.3 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
