PORTLAND – Bank of America announced Feb. 25 that it is donating $50,000, worth 150,000 meals, to Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine to address food insecurity in the region.

Maine is ranked fifth in the nation for very low food security rates, a more severe range of food insecurity that involves reduced food intake and disrupted eating patterns. More than 31,000 Maine households fall into this concerning category, according to Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine. As the pandemic continues, hunger relief organizations in Maine 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 Maine who received a COVID-19 booster shot or vaccine and notified the bank before the end of January.

The company made an additional contribution to address the increased need experienced by hunger relief organizations across the country. Since the onset of the pandemic, Bank of America has provided $80,000 in funding to Good Shepherd Food Bank in support of local hunger relief efforts.

Good Shepherd Food Bank distributes millions of pounds of food to local partner agencies that serve all 16 counties in Maine. These partners include food pantries, meal sites, shelters, senior centers, health care facilities and school programs. An estimated 13.5% of Maine’s population, around 182,000 Mainers, experienced food insecurity in 2021. The state ranks first in New England for childhood food insecurity, with 20% of Maine’s youth — about 50,000 children — at risk of hunger and lacking regular access to enough healthy food.

For every $1 donated, the organization can provide three meals to the community. With help from the bank’s donation, Good Shepherd is providing 150,000 of meals to individuals and families throughout Maine. The bank has been a longtime partner of Good Shepherd and serves as a Visionary Partner of the organization.

“Our network of more than 500 hunger-relief partners increased meal distribution by 16% during our last fiscal year,” Kristen Miale, president of Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine, said. “The Food Bank estimates that 40 million meals are missing from the plates of Mainers annually, based on data from Feeding America, the largest hunger-relief organization in the U.S. With support from partners, like Bank of America, we know we can, and will, grow our nutritious food distribution to meet the urgent need of Mainers today, just like we did over the past year.”