The face of hunger is changing in the US. Millions of people struggle to put food on the table every day. The causes are many: underemployment, stagnant wages, inflation. Today, more than 46 million people turn to the Feeding America network each year for extra support. That number includes 12 million children and 7 million seniors.i
Amazon is helping Feeding America reach more people who need help.
For more than 35 years, Feeding America has responded to the hunger crisis in America by providing food to people in need through a comprehensive network. Today, Feeding America is the nation’s largest domestic hunger relief organization, with 200 food banks that help food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters across the country.ii
Feeding America had a humble start. In the 1960s, John van Hengel, a retired businessman, volunteered at a Phoenix soup kitchen and began searching for more food to help the organization. After meeting a woman who had to rummage in grocery store dumpsters for meals, van Hengel created St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, the first food bank in the nation.
Within 12 months, Mary’s Food Bank distributed 275,000 pounds of food to people in need and gained a national reputation. By 1977, food banks had been established in 18 cities across the country. This led to van Hengel creating Second Harvest, later called America’s Second Harvest the Nation’s First Food Bank network. In 2008, the network changed its name to Feeding America.iii
You can be part of fighting hunger in America through Alexa Donations. Amazon customers can ask Alexa to donate to Feeding America via Amazon Pay using the information stored in their Amazon accounts.
To help bring vital food to more of those in need, simply ask,
“‘Alexa, make a donation to Feeding America.
Alexa Donations brings an entirely new audience to Feeding America fundraisers, and those who already use Alexa-enabled devices are just a few words away from contributing to a great cause. Using Alexa Donations with Amazon Pay, Feeding America can now give more families a reason to celebrate during this season of giving.
At Amazon, we’re committed to making giving as easy as talking, and we are already working with more than 180 nonprofits to offer Alexa Donations. To learn more about Feeding America, visit their website.
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i Feeding America, About Us, 2018
ii Ibid
iii Feeding America, History, 2018