The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has announced $2.7 million in grants to local food banks in response to recent federal funding cuts and increases in demand for assistance.
The grants will allow food banks to invest in both immediate relief and long-term solutions to food insecurity.
“Some of the funds are earmarked for buying fresh food directly from local growers and producers, ensuring that families receive nutritious options while simultaneously creating a pipeline of resources that benefit the entire food system,” a news release said.
One of the grant recipients is the Atlanta Community Food Bank, which will receive $1 million to maintain distribution across 29 counties in the metropolitan area. The facility currently serves close to 250,000 households per month — a sharp increase from the 150,000 per month the organization served three years ago.
“This bold investment will allow us to provide healthy, nourishing food, including locally grown produce, to families, children and seniors when they need our help the most,” Kyle Waide, president and CEO of the food bank, said in the release.
In 2023, the Blank Foundation also gave $1 million to the Atlanta Community Food Bank’s Transforming the Neighbor Experience Campaign, helping it expand community partnerships and network reach.
The latest grants also include a $1 million donation to Feeding Georgia, a network that supports seven food banks in the state, including the Atlanta Community Food Bank. Six of those banks are outside of the metro Atlanta area.
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com
Julie Bryant Kuykendall, executive director of Feeding Georgia, said recent changes to federal programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will create only more difficulty for many families in the coming months, making the grants critical.
“Feeding Georgia’s member food banks were already seeing an increase in demand because of stubbornly high food and fuel prices,” Kuykendall said in the release.
About $700,000 will be allocated in Montana, with donations to the Montana Food Bank Network, Hopa Mountain and Livingston Food Resource Center.
One-in-7 people and 1-in-5 children face hunger in Georgia, this year’s Map the Meal Gap study by Feeding America found. Under President Donald Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill Act,” new paperwork burdens and work requirements for adults to be eligible for assistance could also result in fewer free meals for K-12 students, according to the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.
“Food insecurity has a profound impact on individuals and entire communities, especially in moments of heightened need,” Fay Twersky, president of the Blank Foundation, said in the release. “Local food banks are on the front lines, providing not only emergency relief but also strengthening the building blocks of long-term resilience.”
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