Residents asked to leave food donations at their door to help Utahns facing hunger
On Saturday, March 18, faith-based congregations, organizations and residents throughout Utah will collaborate with Utah Food Bank for the second statewide Feed Utah food drive, after a hiatus in 2022 due to COVID-19. Residents across the state will receive door hangers during the days leading up to the food drive, and Utah Food Bank asks the public to help by placing a bag of non-perishable food outside their front door by 9am on Saturday, March 18, for pickup. Volunteers will pick up donated food, then collect and deliver it to Utah Food Bank and its participating partner agencies across the state. This effort is the result of a partnership between Utah Food Bank and its partner agencies, Macey’s Grocery, JustServe and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These donations will help provide food to the estimated 289,000 Utahns, and 1 in 9 Utah kids, who are unsure where their next meal will come from.
Donated food should be commercially packaged (non-glass), non-perishable and nutritious (ideally low-sodium and low-sugar items). Most-needed food items include beef stew, chili, peanut butter, boxed meals, canned meats and canned fruits and vegetables.
Residents can participate in a variety of ways, including leaving a bag of non-perishable food donations by their door, donating funds using the QR code on the door hangers that will be distributed the week of March 13, or volunteering to help receive food donations. Drop-off sites across the state include Utah Food Bank’s Salt Lake and St. George warehouses, any Macey’s Grocery locations, participating pantry locations, and other community sites. To find out more about Feed Utah, including how to sign up to volunteer, donate online or find your nearest food drop-off location, visit www.utahfoodbank.org/feedutah.
“It is rewarding to see so many partners working alongside us to fight hunger statewide” said Ginette Bott, Utah Food Bank President & CEO. “We are still distributing record-setting amounts of food as the need for assistance remains high thanks to rising food costs and other inflationary pressures. Your support is needed now just as much as during the height of the pandemic.”
According to Sister Bonnie H. Cordon, Young Women General President, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, “Jesus Christ defined the first two great commandments as loving God and loving our neighbors. There is no better way to do both than participate in serving others and in so doing, serving God. We reflect His light and His love by caring for others. Food insecurity for many Utahns is a daily reality. Our collective efforts to care for those in need and share our abundance, no matter how meager the offering, makes us better and knits our hearts together in greater unity. Please sign up for these service opportunities through JustServe, and come and see while expecting to see miracles in this great project to provide relief to those in need.”
