Feeding America® and Starbucks Announce $1.7 million in New Equitable Food Access Grants to Support Communities Disproportionately Affected by Hunger

CHICAGO, July 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Feeding America®, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization, announced a $1.7 million investment from Starbucks in equitable food access grants to help increase access to nutritious food among households with individuals who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) residing in communities experiencing high food insecurity rates. These grants will be distributed to 16 member food banks to develop localized plans to address equity in food access and implement programs and initiatives, such as mobile pantries, child and senior hunger programs, and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program outreach.

In the U.S., people of color are more likely to live in food-insecure households, Native Americans by 2.9 times, Black people by 2.4 times and Latinos by two times. The pandemic and its economic effects compounded these disparities, as adults who identify as Black or Latino were almost three times more likely than white adults to report accessing charitable food in 2020.[1]

Feeding America member food banks will use the equitable food access grants to engage their local communities to better understand the barriers to accessing food and will support new or expand existing interventions that can help overcome these obstacles. Food banks receiving this grant were identified based on the locations of Starbucks Community Stores, which are committed to economic development and opportunity in historically under-resourced communities.  

"Before COVID-19, people of color disproportionately experienced food insecurity and its underlying drivers, such as unemployment and poverty. As we continue to grapple with the economic effects of the pandemic, food banks are addressing disparities in order to advance racial equity in the communities they serve," said Ami McReynolds, Chief Equity and Programs Officer at Feeding America. "Feeding America is proud to partner with Starbucks as we co-create solutions that will help BIPOC communities access enough nutritious food and other resources for an active, healthy life."

"For the last 50 years and still today, Starbucks believes it is our role and responsibility to help strengthen the communities we serve, and in partnership with Feeding America, we are tackling hunger with a focus on equity," said Camille Hymes, vice president of community impact at Starbucks. "The equitable food access grants are a unique opportunity to combine efforts with our Community Stores across the country, which are specifically designed to support historically under-resourced communities through local partnerships and economic opportunity, to increase access to nutritious food for people that need it most." 

Since 2016, Starbucks has been committed to the fight against hunger through its FoodShare program, in partnership with Feeding America, which has helped to provide more than 27 million nourishing, ready-to-eat meals* to local member food banks across the U.S. This year, the company reached its goal to launch the FoodShare program in all U.S. company-operated stores. Starbucks commitment to hunger relief also includes a $2.69 million investment in mobile pantry programs across the country.

Feeding America is a nationwide network of food banks that serves every community in the U.S. Since 2020, Feeding America has directed more than $100 million in grants to member food banks to increase food access for the most vulnerable populations, with a focus on communities of color and rural communities, launched the Food Security Equity Impact Fund, and established a set of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion commitments.

Food banks receiving an equitable food access grant include the following:

• Atlanta Community Food Bank ? Atlanta, Georgia
• Capital Area Food Bank ? Washington, D.C.
• Community Food Bank of Central Alabama ? Birmingham, Alabama
• Community FoodBank of New Jersey ? Hillside, New Jersey
• Feeding South Florida ? Pembroke Park, Florida
• Feeding Tampa Bay ? Tampa Bay, Florida
• Food Bank For New York City ? New York, New York
• Greater Chicago Food Depository ? Chicago, Illinois
• Harvest Hope Food Bank ? Columbia, South Carolina
• Los Angeles Regional Food Bank ? Los Angeles, California
• Maryland Food Bank ? Baltimore, Maryland
• North Texas Food Bank ? Plano, Texas
• Roadrunner Food Bank ? Albuquerque, New Mexico
• Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana ? New Orleans, Louisiana
• St. Louis Area Foodbank ? Bridgeton, Missouri
• St. Mary's Food Bank ? Phoenix, Arizona

About Feeding America

Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, we provide meals to more than 40 million people each year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

About Starbucks

Since 1971, Starbucks Coffee Company has been committed to ethically sourcing and roasting high-quality arabica coffee. Today, with nearly 33,000 stores worldwide, the company is the premier roaster and retailer of specialty coffee in the world. Through our unwavering commitment to excellence and our guiding principles, we bring the unique Starbucks Experience to life for every customer through every cup. To share in the experience, please visit us in our stores or online at http://news.starbucks.com or www.starbucks.com.

[1] Waxman, E., Gupta, P., & Gonzalez, D. (2021, March 16). Charitable Food Use Increased Nearly 50 Percent from 2019 to 2020. Urban Institute.

*According to the USDA, 1.2 pounds is the equivalent to one meal.

Media Contact:
Zuani Villarreal
[email protected]

SOURCE Feeding America