Mazda Foundation (USA) Inc. has been strengthening its support to food banks that have been stretched thin due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Recently, a total of $215,000 was granted by the Board of Trustees of the Mazda Foundation (USA) Inc. to nine food banks serving six major metropolitan areas in the United States. Through this, an estimated 730,000 meals will be served by the awardees to the most vulnerable communities in the next 12 months.
The organizations that received the grants are Flemington Area Food Pantry (Flemington, New Jersey); Food Bank of North Alabama (Huntsville, Alabama); Greater Chicago Food Depository (Chicago, Illinois); Northern Illinois Food Bank (Geneva, Illinois); Central Texas Food Bank (Austin, Texas); North Texas Food Bank (Plano, Texas); Houston Food Bank (Houston, Texas); Second Harvest Food Bank (Irvine, California); and Bracken’s Kitchen (Garden Grove, California).
Earlier in March during the onset of the pandemic, the Mazda Foundation Inc. also made donations to support COVID-19 response efforts. In total, the foundation has donated $429,000 to purchase shelf-stable food items.
The pandemic has created an enormous need in communities, driving demand for food up to 60% since March. According to Feeding America, an estimated one in six Americans are at a risk of facing hunger this year. Food banks across the U.S. are clearly facing unprecedented demand.
Jeff Guyton, president of Mazda North American Operations and chairman of the Mazda Foundation (USA) Inc. said that “addressing a fundamental need like food security is a clear expression of the Mazda foundation’s guiding principle that what matters most is one another.”
With a mission to reach out to build a better tomorrow, the Mazda Foundation has been supporting meaningful programs and organizations that make a difference including food banks, children’s organizations, educational scholarships, disaster relief efforts, and environmental programs since 1992.
