Will enable the Maryland Food Bank to provide 230,000 meals to help fight hunger in Maryland
Bank of America donated $100 for each bank employee who recorded a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot in addition to a company contribution
BALTIMORE, MD– Bank of America today announced a $115,000 donation – the equivalent of 230,000 meals – to the Maryland Food Bank (MFB) to address food insecurity in the region. An estimated two million Marylanders faced hunger in 2021, according to MFB’s Maryland’s Hunger Map analysis. As the pandemic continues, hunger relief organizations in Maryland and across the country are facing ongoing challenges such as increased demand for their services and rising food prices.
Bank of America is supporting its employees’ health and safety while addressing one of the local communities’ most critical needs. Earlier this year, the company announced it would make a $100 donation to local hunger relief organizations and food banks for each employee in greater Maryland who received a COVID-19 booster shot or vaccine and notified the bank before the end of January. Since the onset of the pandemic, Bank of America has provided an additional $565,000 in funding to the Maryland Food Bank in support of local hunger relief efforts. The bank also donated personal protective equipment—including thousands of gloves, masks and bottles of hand sanitizer—which were distributed to MFB’s statewide network of community organizations for use by families and citizens relying on the nonprofit’s services.
“Our friends at Bank of America clearly understand the importance of being good community partners by encouraging COVID-19 booster shots among their employees and incentivizing their team members to do so through support of our mission to feed Marylanders,” said Maryland Food Bank President & CEO Carmen Del Guercio. “There are many ways to help fight hunger in Maryland, and we’re grateful to Bank of America for this one-of-a-kind gift.”
The Maryland Food Bank estimates that 39 percent of Maryland households face food insecurity. For every $1 donated, the organization can provide two meals to the community. With help from the bank’s donation, the Maryland Food Bank can provide 230,000 meals to individuals and families throughout 21 Maryland counties and Baltimore City.
“As the pandemic continues to impact Maryland, it’s no secret that food banks and hunger relief organizations are experiencing increased demand and higher costs to meet the needs of individuals and families,” said Janet Currie, President, Bank of America Greater Maryland. “We are committed to strengthening the communities we live in and serve, which is why we are working with our long-standing partners at the Maryland Food Bank to support those in need throughout our state. This was an opportunity to promote the health, safety and wellbeing of our teammates, while also providing funds to help our neighbors fight food insecurity.”
Bank of America committed to donating a minimum of $25,000 in each of the company’s 93 markets to local nonprofit partners as part its vaccine booster effort. Because vaccination boosters and reporting are voluntary and additional company contributions are reflected in the final amount, actual donation amounts differ from the number of boosters reported by bank employees. Nationally, the bank has committed $10.6 million dollars to food banks and hunger relief organizations through this effort. Since 2015, Bank of America has donated nearly $150 million toward hunger relief efforts.
The company has encouraged staff to get COVID-19 vaccinations since summer 2021 and has offered incentives such as paid time-off and $500 credits towards health benefit premiums. In partnership with local nonprofits, Bank of America has also distributed more than 38 million masks, 41,000 cases of hand sanitizer and 11 million gloves in local communities as part of its ongoing efforts to address health-related disparities accelerated by the pandemic.
About the Maryland Food Bank
The Maryland Food Bank (MFB) is a nonprofit hunger-relief organization dedicated to feeding people, strengthening communities, and ending hunger for more Marylanders. Since March 2020, the food bank’s statewide food assistance network distributed the equivalent of 84 million meals in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. MFB will continue to meet the immediate needs of vulnerable communities while collaborating with partners to provide resources beyond food and address root causes of hunger so that more Marylanders can become financially stable and thrive. To learn more about the Maryland Food Bank, visit www.mdfoodbank.org.
About Bank of America
At Bank of America, we’re guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better, through the power of every connection. We’re delivering on this through responsible growth with a focus on our environmental, social and governance (ESG) leadership. ESG is embedded across our eight lines of business and reflects how we help fuel the global economy, build trust and credibility, and represent a company that people want to work for, invest in and do business with. It’s demonstrated in the inclusive and supportive workplace we create for our employees, the responsible products and services we offer our clients, and the impact we make around the world in helping local economies thrive. An important part of this work is forming strong partnerships with nonprofits and advocacy groups, such as community, consumer and environmental organizations, to bring together our collective networks and expertise to achieve greater impact. Learn more at about.bankofamerica.com, and connect with us on Twitter (@BofA_News).
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