At the end of 2020, more than 155 million people were suffering from acute hunger due to conflict and instability. The COVID-19 pandemic put massive strains on individuals and communities globally, especially those in vulnerable populations. That’s why Greater Good Charities and our community of donors put our efforts towards combating the hunger crises around the world.
In December 2020, we launched our Feed Thy Neighbor campaign with Chris Pratt and 12 Tomatoes. Over 8,000 donors gave about $650,000 to aid 21 food banks across the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Thanks to donors like you, 4,628,822 meals were provided to people facing food insecurity through hunger relief organizations serving areas hardest hit by Covid. Although this campaign only ran through January 2021, the amount of contributions and support to feed our communities was outstanding!
In February 2021 unprecedented winter storms hit Texas which led to over 3 million residents living without power or heat during a deep freeze. Aside from the freeze, the pandemic created immense food insecurity, as households could no longer afford basic grocery items such as fresh produce, dairy items, poultry, mixed snacks, and bottled water. GGC and 12 Tomatoes teamed up with Texan food banks such as the Food Bank of Rio Grande Valley, El Pasoans Fighting Hunger, and the Houston Food Bank to provide 346,280 meals to Texans in dire need.
Internationally, participants of our Girls’ Voices program also helped us in the fight against food insecurity. India experienced a treacherous second wave of COVID-19 infections, which became extra detrimental due to the lack of food and sanitation facilities in the region. Our partner Prayasam, and its “Find to Feed” program fed people in 10 communities in Kolkata, West Bengal; regions with the highest number of positive COVID cases and unemployment.
Girls’ Voices participants and alumni, along with Community Ambassadors, acquired raw materials for the dishes at their local communities’ markets and prepared meals for 2,000 people. Families were fed twice a day, for 30 days. Seeing members of our Girls’ Voices program carry out work in their own communities has been inspiring and extremely helpful to those in need.
Every member of this woman’s family was infected with COVID and they did not have any neighbors to provide them with food during their time of need in quarantine. A member of Girls’ Voices identified this family and placed them into the “Find to Feed” program to set them up with meals for the month.
No individual should go hungry. Although the hunger crisis is still prevalent, our partners have helped us perform important work in global communities to alleviate the issue. Thank you to our donors who have helped feed countless individuals and families! With your help, we can continue to feed our neighbors and community members across the world.