GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan — The Kids’ Food Basket received a $25,000 donation from Amazon on behalf of the company’s 1,500 associates working at the Gaines Township fulfillment center.
Prior to the pandemic in 2019, there were more than 90,000 children in West Michigan receiving free and reduced cost school lunch each weekday. That is 46.6% of all children in Kent, Muskegon, Ottawa and Allegan counties (the four counties that Kids’ Food Basket services with healthy evening meals). As a result of COVID-19’s economic impacts, food insecurity is expected to affect many Americans as the nation recovers from all facets of the pandemic.
Amazon recognizes that access to fresh and nutritional food has always been important, but more so now than ever due to the unprecedented health and economic crisis that continues to cripple communities across the country. That’s why the company is supporting Kids’ Food Basket’s mission to identify a solution to childhood hunger. The company’s hope is that the donation will increase access to fresh, nutritional foods for those most in need.
“It is because of partners like Amazon that Kids’ Food Basket is able to help thousands of children and their families during the COVID-19 crisis. This generous gift and the kindness of Amazon make such an incredible impact, especially right now as our food costs have risen since COVID-19 began,” said Bridget Clark Whitney, president and founding CEO, Kids’ Food Basket. “As a community-funded nonprofit organization, every healthy, critical meal is funded by the support of our generous West Michigan community.”
This recent donation is reflective of Amazon’s commitment to supporting the communities in which it operates and partnering with nonprofit organizations that are actively making a difference. In addition to its donation to Kids’ Food Basket, Amazon has donated millions of dollars in both monetary and in-kind donations to charities and public schools in Michigan.
“Amazon is committed to leveraging its scale for good,” said Amazon’s general manager Mike Adler. “We’re proud to give back to the communities where our employees live and work, and we knew that supporting Kids’ Food Basket was a priority. We’ll continue to find ways to contribute to the betterment of this community.”
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