The Food Bank of East Alabama, in collaboration with the nonprofit Feeding America and local letter carriers, has launched the Stamp Out Hunger initiative. Residents of East Alabama place non-perishable food items beside their mailboxes for collection by the Food Bank. Serving an average of 32,454 individuals monthly across seven counties, the Food Bank works with over 200 partner agencies, such as food pantries, soup kitchens, group homes, shelters, rehabilitation centers, and programs for the young and elderly.
The Palm Beach County Food Bank recently opened its 24,000-square-foot expansion, featuring a community kitchen and additional space for volunteers. This expansion will enable the provision of 10,000 hot meals daily to children, families, adults, veterans, and seniors facing food insecurity. Additionally, the new area will offer workforce training programs aimed at assisting unemployed individuals in finding jobs within Palm Beach County's hospitality and food service sectors.
The Wellness Garden in Cobb County, Georgia, cultivates fresh produce and educates recipients on integrating this produce into their diets for better health. A team of community and Master Gardener volunteers plant, tend, harvest, and distribute a variety of fruits, vegetables, and herbs. Additionally, the program harvests and donates hundreds of pounds of produce to local food banks. This initiative is a collaborative effort between the Cobb County Farm Bureau, Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County, Inc. (MGVOCC), the Cobb Water and Soil Conservation District, and WellStar Health Systems.
The Pikeville Community Foundation has recently distributed $60,000 to local nonprofits focused on food security initiatives in Pike County, Kentucky. The recipients include Helping Hands of Phelps, Faith Life Ministries, Grace Community Kitchen, Pikeville Community Kitchen, Church of God Militant Pillar & Ground of Truth, Handfuls on Purpose, East Kentucky Dream Center, and the Elkhorn Community Church Backpack Program. The Foundation members are local citizens committed to the well-being of Pike County. Their goal is to foster a culture of philanthropy and giving that supports community growth and development.
The Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension Service Program, through its Aim for Change initiative, partnered with the Mississippi Food Network to provide training on the Supporting Wellness at Pantries (SWAP) guidelines in Jackson, MS. These guidelines help pantries categorize foods according to their health benefits: 'choose often' for green-labeled items, 'choose sometimes' for yellow, and 'choose rarely' for red. This color-coding system is designed to assist community members in making healthier food choices.
MANNA FoodBank organized a "Pack to Give Back" event in Western North Carolina (WNC) to bring together corporations and businesses with the common aim of addressing food insecurity. Volunteers from these businesses packed bulk food items into bags suitable for families, which were then distributed throughout the 16 counties of WNC and the Qualla Boundary.
ColaEats, a project aimed at combating food insecurity among students in Columbia, has initiated a program in collaboration with local community partners, including the Columbia Food Policy Committee, Columbia Urban League, No Kid Hungry, and Wholespire Richland. This program will be implemented across three Midlands school districts: Richland One, Richland Two, and Lexington-Richland Five. Over the summer break this year, these districts will select a total of 1,500 students who are eligible to receive a $120 gift card to help with food expenses during the summer.
Tennessee's five Feeding America food banks officially launched the Tennessee Food Bank Association, aligning with 21 other states in creating a unified alliance. The association comprises the Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee in Nashville, the Mid-South Food Bank in Memphis, the Chattanooga Area Food Bank in Chattanooga, the Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee in Knoxville, and the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northeast Tennessee in Kingsport. The Tennessee Food Bank Association aims to serve as the central educational resource on food insecurity for all major stakeholders, enhancing statewide recognition of the problem and striving to increase both federal and state food assistance programs. Additionally, the member food banks seek to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their collective programs and partnerships.