Donating to food banks and food pantries: Simple, sustainable and impactful

Food banks and food pantries serve millions of people every single day in America, and the need is growing more and more. In 2020, nearly 7 percent of American households made use of a communal food source, the highest total on record. They are an important source of food and nutrition especially for the United States’ 13.8 million households (about 1 out of every 10, equivalent to roughly 46 million people) who lived with some level of food insecurity in 2019.

If you’re in need of a meal, or if you’re fortunate enough to be able to donate food to a local pantry and support your community, finding a food bank can be as simple as a Google search. Websites like feedingamerica.org and foodpantries.org offer location information for many food banks and food pantries in every state in the U.S., and include listings for government-run food banks as well as private and religious charitable organizations who provide food.

Each location will have its own rules for what donations are and are not acceptable. But most will accept simple, nutritious foods like pasta, rice, granola, canned fruits and vegetables, soups. (Some food banks may also accept donations of cash or expensive personal hygiene necessities like diapers or sanitary pads, which can also be extremely helpful for people in need.)

Donating to a food bank is one of the easiest, yet most impactful ways to make your community a better place. Hunger and poverty are closely linked as part of a vicious cycle that affects millions of people in America. The nature of poverty often forces people to choose between their next meal and other necessities like shelter, clothing, or transportation. By providing food to those who are in need, food banks and pantries can help to alleviate this cycle.

The same is true for the hundreds of millions of people who live with hunger worldwide. Having enough food to eat is a human right. Making that a reality is not only possible – we produce far more food than we could ever eat – but also a moral obligation. Whether you’re dropping off boxes of food at your local pantry, or working with organizations like Embrace Relief to aid people in dozens of countries around the world, every little bit helps. 

Donate today to help us feed thousands of people during Qurbani 2022

A commitment to fighting hunger wherever it exists on the planet is one of the foundations of Embrace Relief’s work. To mark Qurbani and the celebration of Eid in July, Embrace Relief’s International Hunger Relief: Qurbani 2022 campaign plans to provide food packages to tens of thousands of needy people in more than a dozen countries.

Embrace Relief’s Qurbani packages will contain sheep, cattle or goat meat, all of which has been 100% humanely and hygienically slaughtered. This meat is high in fat, protein, minerals and vitamins, which are vital in fighting malnutrition, particularly for growing children.

Each Qurbani meat package from Embrace Relief feeds eight families! And when you donate to provide a Qurbani package for those most in need, we will notify you once it has been sent and delivered.

The cost for each package in each area we serve depends on the local market price for the meat. Here’s how much it would cost for you to lessen the burden of hunger for eight families this Qurbani:

• Africa: $175
• United States: $265
• Greece: $265
• Yemen: $265

With your help, we can combat food shortages and provide hope to people in need in places like sub-Saharan Africa, Yemen, Greece and the United States. Every contribution you make helps one more family go to bed on a full stomach, and brings us one small step closer to ending world hunger.