No one should go hungry. But in the United States, about 37 million people are hungry or “food insecure,” which means they do not know where their next meal is coming from. Every state has its fair share of hunger crises – with Alabama and Louisiana tied for the highest food hardship rates in the nation. Children who do not have access to food receive free school lunches and snacks on school days, but they go hungry on the weekends. Others are faced with the daily nutritional struggle of living in a “food desert,” which is defined as an area with limited access to affordable and nutritious food. Many who are food insecure are part of multi-generational households – with grandparents taking care of grandchildren. They face a daily dilemma – either pay for medications, utilities, and transportation – or purchase food for the home with the limited funds they have.

While some problems seem insurmountable, thankfully, fighting hunger is not. In its commitment to making an impact in the communities it serves, Tidwell Group makes it a priority to give back to people in need. Leading up to this Thanksgiving holiday, Tidwell Group hosted a food drive from November 4 – November 20 to donate to a community food bank. The firm’s employees donated about 230 pounds of food while the firm’s Impact Team volunteers sorted, inspected, and assembled thousands of pounds of food to deliver to those in need.

Josh Lay, Tidwell Group Tax Associate, said, “It feels really good to be able to give back to the community that has given so much to me. I’m thankful that we’re able to give back.”

While it is gratifying to know we’ve made a small impact on the food crisis, there’s much more to be done. Donating to a food bank impacts the lives of thousands of people in your community. In the spirit of giving this Thanksgiving and holiday season, we would like to encourage everyone to consider donating to a food bank and be a part of the solution to the hunger crisis.

Through personal and corporate donations, some food banks provide over 11 million meals each per year to those in need. Some of the needs filled by food banks include the following:

• They deliver food to schools and different facilities throughout central Alabama.
• They provide “Weekender Backpack Kits” – these are food packs given to children who do not have any access to food besides school lunches and snacks. The Weekender Backpack Kits are delivered to schools for kids to pick up when they go home for the weekend. Unfortunately, a majority of children that receive Weekender Backpack Kits share the kit with their families and, consequently, do not have enough to eat for themselves.
• They established the “Mobile Pantry Program,” where they fill boxes with non-perishable food items and fresh produce and deliver them to families in need.
• They operate The Corner Market – known as a “grocery store on wheels.” The Corner Market’s purpose is to fill nutritional food gaps by traveling to food deserts and selling nutritious food items at deeply discounted prices, tax-free.

There is little that is more gratifying than making it a priority to give this holiday season. To learn more about how you can become involved, please contact Tidwell Group – we’d love to support you in your efforts to make a difference in the hunger crisis.

Contact:
Community Food Bank of Central Alabama
Tommy Mulvaney – Volunteer
E-mail: volunteer@feedingal.org
Phone number: 205-942-8911, ext. 115