Yesterday, Team Rubicon announced a new partnership with Feeding America to ensure that families in vulnerable communities get the food and supplies they need throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Feeding America is a charitable network made up of over 200 individual member food banks with the goal of eliminating hunger in the U.S. Each year they provide roughly 4.3 billion free meals through community pantries and nutrition assistance programs that serve every county in the country. While we have worked with Feeding America before, this new partnership represents a strengthening of the relationship in response to the present crisis. Together, we will advance each other’s efforts to safeguard lifelines to food and bring hope to communities that have been hit the hardest.
We’re teaming up now because Americans face an unprecedented threat to their food security. Due to necessary safety measures that have closed most businesses, millions of people newly struggle to get by without jobs or wages, suddenly joining the nearly 40 million citizens who were experiencing food insecurity before the pandemic. Many are now relying on food banks for the first time in their lives. Food banks are hard pressed to meet this increased need. To make matters worse, seniors, who usually make up a large portion of their staff, cannot currently volunteer due to health risks. Only by combining Feeding America’s infrastructure of member food banks with our nationwide cadre of Greyshirts can we overcome the threat of widespread hunger.
Through the partnership, Feeding America will share Team Rubicon’s online request for assistance form with its member food banks. From there, Team Rubicon will provide the manpower, experience, and know-how to keep those food banks operating effectively. As they did in Westchester, NY, Greyshirts are prepared to package food for distribution, deliver meals to the homebound, coordinate logistics, organize fellow volunteers, and conduct warehouse management. Not only will their service aid the food banks and their beneficiaries, it will provide a way for communities to come together and inspire hope that will carry our nation through this crisis.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic reaches far beyond the effects of the disease itself; it poses a threat to the food security of tens of millions of Americans. Now more than ever, individuals and families, as well as local, state, and federal authorities, depend on organizations like Team Rubicon and Feeding America to protect lifelines to food. The task is daunting, but Team Rubicon was built to serve for times like this. We’re proud to have a partner like Feeding America in the fight against hunger and support the hardworking volunteers and leaders at each of the member food banks.
