Protein, produce and dairy are some of neighbors’ top-requested items at food banks. On average, more than 59 million pounds of protein, produce and dairy are delivered to partner food banks weekly. To shorten—and ultimately end—food lines in communities, we must rescue more agricultural products. Over 3.2 billion pounds of protein, produce and dairy were sourced by network members in fiscal year 2023, advancing our goal to increase the availability and accessibility of nutritious foods.
By leveraging the strength and expanse of the nationwide network of food banks, and supported by partners like Pacific Life Foundation, we are able to make a significant impact for families facing hunger. Since 2022, Pacific Life Foundation, a Feeding America Mission Partner, has been a dedicated partner in the movement to end hunger, investing a five-year gift to help the network source more fresh food. The Foundation’s support will ensure people have access to the nutritious foods they need to thrive.
Like us, Pacific Life Foundation understands that hunger is a complex issue—and together, we're tackling it from all angles. We're working to improve access to nutritious food, expand economic security, and advocate for policies that make it easier for people to get the food they need.
“Food security has always been important to us, and being food secure goes a long way in helping people meet their basic needs,” said Tennyson Oyler, president of Pacific Life Foundation. “Given the inflation pressures on pricing, if we can help people have access to better food, a lot of other things can improve in their lives. Having a support network where they know they will have good and healthy food to eat, they then can focus on meeting other needs such as paying other living costs.”
Moreover, ending our nation’s hunger crisis requires more than providing meals.
“We’re really making an investment for future generations and families—making sure kids are not going hungry,” Oyler said. “It’s about providing foundational support.”
With three sons of his own, Oyler said he knows how important it is for them to have good nutrition to be successful.
“Not going hungry is one thing, but we want to make sure people have a balanced meal, and not just the staples,” he said. “We want people to be treated with dignity and that includes upgrading the types of foods they receive.”
Amplifying impact and engagement to end hunger
After many years of longstanding partnerships with local food banks and pantries, Oyler said the Foundation reflected on how it could make an impact on a national level.
“We’ve supported communities and local food banks for a long time—and we love how they support other nonprofits in their communities—but we wanted to have a broader impact nationally, investing in programs focused on fresh food,” he said. “Feeding America was a natural partner for that.”
The multi-year gift made by the Foundation in 2022 followed two decades of support—and $2 million in investments—to end hunger. In addition to its five-year, $750,000 commitment to Feeding America, the Foundation made direct investments to three partner food banks—Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County (California), Food Bank for the Heartland (Nebraska) and Blue Ridge Area Food Bank (Virginia), and other local food banks and food pantries—to help network members source and distribute more produce, protein and dairy to nourish in those communities where Foundation employees live and work.
Another key driver to the Foundation’s partnership with Feeding America is the employee engagement opportunities it brings for their 3,200 employees throughout the country.
“Volunteering is a great opportunity to bring employees to feel and see the impact they’re having,” Oyler said. “We can bring 40 to 100 employees at once and do a volunteer effort together.”
In addition to supporting hunger-relief efforts nationally, the Foundation is committed to working with food banks around the world, with approximately 900 global employees in offices in London, Bermuda, Sydney and Singapore, among other locations.
