News

“My mommy doesn’t eat.”

When a little girl said those words at one of our recent Mobile Pantry distributions, every single mother knew what she meant: Her mom doesn’t eat because there’s not enough food. She misses meals day after day, just so her kids can have something to eat.

Right here in Utah, 511,000 of our neighbors don’t have enough to eat. The impact this has on their health, their development, and their future is staggering. And data consistently shows that women are especially vulnerable to food insecurity – and the health consequences that follow. For the past year, as the pandemic disrupted work and home life, many moms have been stretched thin — acting as caregivers, teachers, and earners at once.

The pandemic has touched everyone, but often mothers bear the brunt of it, with no space or time to recover. One in five Utah children is experiencing food insecurity right now, which is closely related to the loss of maternal income. Since the pandemic began, many working moms have struggled to balance their employment with the extra parenting responsibilities of kids in remote learning, so they have had to reduce their work hours or leave the workforce entirely. Many families already on the brink of financial crisis found themselves needing to turn to Utah Food Bank for food assistance when they could no longer make ends meet. Across the country, almost 1 million American mothers have left the workforce — with Black, Hispanic, and single mothers among the hardest hit.

As mothers in Utah try to recover from the effects of the pandemic, you can make an incredible difference. Every $10 you give helps distribute $80.30 worth of goods and services to families who are still struggling.

On Mother’s Day, we celebrate the women who have been a source of encouragement, love, and support in our lives. This Mother’s Day, you can be a source of encouragement, love, and support for the many mothers in Utah who are striving each day to build a brighter future for their families in the face of the overwhelming emotional and financial devastation caused by the pandemic.

We invite you to honor a special woman in your life this Mother’s Day with a donation that also lifts women struggling to feed their families and often go without to do so. Join us with a gift today and make all the difference.

Click on the link below, and you can make a gift in honor or memory of a special woman in your life. When you do, you’ll have the option to send a Mother’s Day ecard to let them know that a gift has been made in their honor.

Give now.

 

Approximately 600,000 tons of food are wasted every year in Utah, while 511,000 Utahns don’t always have enough to eat – which makes Earth Day the perfect time to talk about our Grocery Rescue program.

 
Did you know the United States leads the world in food waste, with Americans discarding nearly 80 billion pounds of food every year? In fact, food takes up more space than any other single item inside US landfills. All that waste has lasting environmental consequences.

 
Food that sits decaying in landfills produces nitrogen pollution, which causes algae blooms and dead zones. It also wastes the water and energy it took to produce it – $165 billion worth – and generates the equivalent greenhouse gases of 37 million cars! With the Grocery Rescue program, we take food that would otherwise contribute to this waste and destruction and distribute it to those in need.

 
The Grocery Rescue program is a partnership between Utah Food Bank and retailers across Utah that provides a safe and efficient donation outlet for food that is nearing its expiration date but is still safe, healthy, and wholesome to eat. Six days a week, Utah Food Bank and our partners send refrigerated trucks throughout the state and pick up unsalable food donations that would otherwise be thrown away. Instead, donations are collected and distributed within 24 hours to Utahns who need them most.

 
This program has become a highly successful means of addressing poverty, hunger, and food waste in Utah and continues to fill an essential nutrition gap for Utahns facing hunger while at the same time reducing the amount of wasted food. Last year, this program provided 16 million pounds of food for Utahns facing hunger. Fresh produce, dairy, and meats that would otherwise end up in landfills instead find their way to our neighbors facing food insecurity.

 
The Grocery Rescue program plays a crucial role in the fight against hunger and the fight to protect our planet. A heartfelt thanks to the 270 retailers across the state who make this program possible!

 

 

Learn more.

Registration is now open for our annual Driving Out Hunger golf tournament! After a year off, we are excited to get back to the greens on June 14th for this fun event, where you can step up to the tee to fill a plate! All funds raised from this scramble-format tournament will directly support Utah Food Bank programs, operations, outreach, and education efforts.

You can participate by forming a two-person or four-person team, become a Corporate Sponsor, or even opt for a “mulligan” by donating to Utah Food Bank without participating. There is only room for 35 foursomes at this event, and the registration deadline is June 11, so get your team together today and start practicing your swing!

 

Event Details:

7 am – 7:50 am: Check-in & Continental Breakfast
8 am: Shotgun Start
1 pm: Lunch & Awards Ceremony
Willow Creek Country Club
8505 Willow Creek Drive
Sandy, UT

*Social distancing safety protocols will be adhered to. Separate carts are available upon request during the registration process.

*Cost:

Four-Player Team Entry: $1,000
Two-Player Team Entry: $500

*Includes continental breakfast and lunch

REGISTER NOW!

 

 

Great news! The George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation is offering a $100,000 match for the month of March! It’s hard to believe it’s been a year since the country shut down due to COVID-19. Over the past twelve months, the pandemic has pushed countless families into crisis, and the number of Utahns facing food insecurity has skyrocketed. Even before the pandemic, many of your neighbors in Utah were facing hunger.

Now, the need for food is just as great as it was at the beginning of the pandemic. The lines at Utah Food Bank’s partner agencies and Mobile Pantry distributions are even longer. Consistent employment is still uncertain. More families are struggling between paying their rent and utilities—or buying food.

Kathy and her husband have been struggling to get by on a single income ever since health concerns forced her out of work. “I’m doing everything I can to get back to the life we had,” Kathy said. “It’s a scary feeling not having enough to feed your kids.”

All across Utah, the demand for food remains high. Kathy and many other Utah families are counting on us for relief. We are serving 510,590 people this year—198,090 of whom are children—and we’re expecting thousands more still need help accessing enough food to feed their families.

It takes a lot of support to feed so many people, but with your help, we can do it.

Every $1 you give creates $8.03 worth of goods and services — and right now, that amount can be doubled! Your generosity can feed twice as many Utah families in desperate need of support! You can be the reason your neighbor goes to bed with a full stomach and the peace of mind that they aren’t struggling alone in the fight against hunger.

Give now to have your donation matched, up to a total of $100,000! Your gift must be sent no later than March 31st if it’s going to be doubled through this Matching Gift Challenge, thanks to the support of the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation.

Donate Now!

 

 

 

You don’t want to miss out on the 1st annual statewide Feed Utah food drive, so be sure to mark Saturday, March 20th at 9 am on your calendar! Due to COVID-19, it’s been a while since we’ve had the opportunity to participate in a statewide food drive, so we are excited to get back into the swing of things with the first-ever Feed Utah food drive!

Residents across the state will receive door hangers during the days leading up to the food drive, and you can participate by placing a bag or box of non-perishable food outside your front door by 9 am on the 20th for pickup by volunteers.

The Feed Utah food drive will help provide food and much-needed sustenance to those still trying to get back on their feet in uncertain times. 511,000 Utahns face hunger – including 1 in 5 children.  This pandemic didn’t just impact our food drives and fundraising events; it has had devastating repercussions for many of our neighbors. The economic fallout has meant many of our neighbors are needing our help for the first time.

Together, we can help! While these are challenging times, we know that working together, Utahns are capable of incredible things. This food drive will unite the power of Utah’s diverse religions, communities, organizations, and residents in the fight against hunger – all while adhering to strict social distancing recommendations and safety protocols.

The food you donate will be collected by volunteers and then distributed to Utah Food Bank and our statewide network of 203 partner agencies, so you can be confident it will go where it’s needed most. One of the great things about a food drive is it provides variety to the food we can offer. That being said, our most needed food items are:

• Peanut Butter
• Mac & Cheese
• Canned Meats (tuna, chicken, or beef)
• Chili
• SpaghettiOs/Ravioli
• Canned Fruits
• Other Boxed Meals

In addition to donating food, you can help in the following ways:

• Donate financially to Utah Food Bank’s Feed Utah effort.
• If your food donation is not collected, you can take it to the nearest drop-off location.
• Help us spread the word on social media!

Special thanks to partnerships with Associated Food Stores, JustServe, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the NAACP,  Bonneville Salt Lake (KSL TV, KSL Newsradio, FM100.3 and 103.5 The Arrow), the Boys & Girls Clubs of Utah Alliance and the Utah National Guard.