Bank of America recently announced a $175,000 donation, totaling more than 1 million meals to Feeding Northeast Florida, to address food insecurity in the Northeast Florida region.
Since the start of the pandemic, Feeding Northeast Florida has received $500,000 from Bank of America’s COVID-19 Employee Booster Initiative, equivalent to 3 million meals in the local area. In Duval County, 19% of residents are food insecure, higher than the state and national averages, according to Feeding Northeast Florida. As the effects of inflation persist, hunger relief organizations in Jacksonville and across the country are facing ongoing challenges such as increased demand for their services and rising food prices.
Bank of America is supporting its employees’ health and safety while addressing one of the local communities’ most critical needs. Through its employee booster campaign, Bank of America originally donated $100 for each employee who recorded their COVID-19 booster by the end of January 2022, which totaled $10.6 million. The bank restarted the campaign this past fall and donated another $50 for each employee who registered a new vaccination — COVID-19 vaccine, COVID-19 booster or flu shot — by November to further address hunger relief in the communities it serves.
In addition, the second booster campaign included a $1.5-million donation to international hunger organizations based outside of the United States.
Feeding Northeast Florida provided more than 23 million meals in 2022 –– doubling pre-pandemic levels. One in seven people in the food bank's eight-county service area, including one in five children, face some level of food insecurity.
The food bank has worked tirelessly to secure food through local retailers, farmers, government programs and donations. Due to supply chain disruptions and other complications, the food bank has also purchased more food than ever before in order to help meet the increased needs in the communities they serve.
Every $1 donated helps the organization provide six meals to the community. With help from the bank’s donation, Feeding Northeast Florida is providing more than 73,000 meals per day to individuals and families throughout the greater Jacksonville area.
"Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for healthy, nutritious food has been more significant than ever,” said Susan King, CEO, Feeding Northeast Florida. “Thanks to vital donations from organizations like Bank of America, Feeding Northeast Florida has been able to double its efforts to get food in neighbors' hands during an uncertain time. We are grateful for the continued support of our community in this ongoing effort."
Nationally, the bank has committed nearly $12 million dollars to food banks and hunger relief organizations through this effort. Since 2015, Bank of America has donated nearly $150 million toward hunger relief efforts.
“Economic challenges not only increased food insecurity challenges faced by many Jacksonville families, but also threatened the nonprofit organizations who deliver vital resources across our city,” said Mark Bennett, president, Bank of America Jacksonville. “Our commitment to help strengthen the communities we live in and serve is unwavering, which is why we are investing in the health, safety and wellbeing of our teammates while also providing funds to help local organizations support our neighbors and fight food insecurity.”
The company has encouraged staff to get COVID-19 vaccinations since summer 2021 and has offered incentives such as paid time-off and $500 credits toward health benefit premiums.
In partnership with local nonprofits, Bank of America has also distributed more than 40.5 million masks, nearly 43,000 cases of hand sanitizer and 12.2 million gloves in local communities as part of its ongoing efforts to address health-related disparities accelerated by the pandemic.
