As summer break approaches and food-insecure families prepare to go without free school meals for their children, the GSF Foundation (GSFF) ramps up food bank support during the month of May. Now entering its fifth year of hunger relief ahead of high-demand summer months, the Foundation’s Focus on Food program aims to infuse grant funding into eligible 501(c)(3) food banks through an expedited process with matching national GSFF donations. Since its 2020 launch, Focus on Food has funded more than three million meals to help children and families struggling with food insecurity throughout the United States.
“Food is the most precious gift we can provide to people in need,” said Gregg Tarlton, GSF Foundation Board Member and Chair of the Programs and Resources Committee. “To increase our impact on hunger relief this year, the GSF Foundation set a goal of donating the equivalent of one million meals through Focus on Food grants that support local food banks in the communities where our GSF associates live, work, and volunteer.”
Kicking off this year’s Focus on Food impact, the Golden State Foods Management Partners collectively contributed more than $100,000 in personal contributions to fund 360,000 meals in early 2024. Distributed evenly among five Feeding America affiliates, the funding supported food banks in areas with the highest amount of food-insecure children in communities where GSF associates live and work. To build on this generosity and maintain strong momentum in giving back, the Foundation has activated a special initiative for Focus on Food month this year.
Get Curious, Get Involved
With the “Get Curious, Get Involved” initiative, GSFF Committees have the opportunity to earn a $1,000 donation to their local food bank, in addition to the $5,000 Focus on Food grant match that the Foundation has made available since 2020 when the program launched. Local committees can “Get Curious” by bringing three or more associates to tour their local food bank and “Get Involved” by engaging three or more volunteers to give their time sorting, shelving, distributing, or harvesting food donations for their community.
