Citizens Bank contribution helps The Food Bank deliver more food to our neighbors in need

The Food Bank is excited to announce that we received a $25,000 contribution from Citizens Bank to support the delivery of more emergency food throughout the four counties of Western Massachusetts. Without this delivery service, more than 89,000 people would have limited access to fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as perishable foods such as meat, fish, poultry and dairy items.

Focused on our core mission of feeding neighbors in need, we work with more than 200 member agencies (comprised of food pantries, meal sites and shelters) that make up the regional emergency food network. Many of these agencies lack the necessary staff or vehicles to pick up food at The Food Bank’s warehouse in Hatfield. Receiving deliveries means that these agencies can rely on regularly restocked shelves.

“We are very grateful for this generous contribution from Citizens Bank,” says The Food Bank’s Executive Director Andrew Morehouse. “Our delivery program is a critical part of our food distribution operations, allowing us to efficiently get more food to more people in need throughout the region.”

Approximately 50 percent of the emergency food programs assisted by The Food Bank rely on delivery services to obtain their food. Additionally, we deliver emergency food through our Brown Bag: Food for Elders program (serving thousands of area seniors) and our Mobile Food Bank program (bringing fresh, perishable food directly to under-served communities).

“Hunger often hits closer to home than many realize, making the need for the community to pull together to make a difference and keep hunger in the spotlight year-round all the more urgent,” says Jerry Sargent, President, Citizens Bank, Massachusetts. “We are proud to support The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts and help them distribute food to our community neighbors.”