When online searches for “food bank” and “food pantry” spiked leading up to the holiday season, Google knew they had to take action. They allocated $2 million to fight hunger and distributed the funds to 20 different hunger relief organizations. Here in Central Texas, their generous $50,000 donation can provide 200,000 meals for struggling families.
Additionally, Google is contributing to ad grants and offering resources to help ensure the organizations can better reach everyone who may be looking for assistance. Every organization will receive three months of account management support from Google volunteers to help set up and optimize their campaigns. In a service territory like the Central Texas Food Bank’s, which spans 21 counties and is twice the size of Massachusetts, advertising to clients, donors and volunteers online is crucial to fighting hunger.
The donations are part of Google’s ongoing initiatives to help combat food insecurity. Their Food Bank Locator tool allows users to find more than 24,000 food banks and food pantries all over the country. They’ve also rolled out Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Information Panels, which will link users to their state’s application and eligibility requirements when searching for food stamps, and an EBT Payment Option feature which allows users to search for stores that accept the benefits near them.
“We are honored to have been selected as one of the 20 most innovative food assistance organizations in the country and receive this $50 thousand grant from Google,” said Derrick Chubbs, President and CEO of the Central Texas Food Bank. “The Central Texas region sees higher rates of food insecurity than the national average, with 1 in 7 individuals at risk of hunger, so their support is helping us address a critical need in our community as we head into a demanding holiday season. We look forward to continuing to fight hunger together through their ongoing support and the launch of their new Food Bank Locator, which will help us reach more of our struggling neighbors and improve food access in our 21 county service territory.”
