Renaissance Foundation Donates $35,000 for Hunger Relief to Feeding America and Gleaners Food Bank

INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Renaissance Foundation, established by Renaissance Life & Health Insurance Companies, announced it will donate $30,000 to Feeding America, the largest hunger relief organization in the country, and $5,000 to Gleaners Food Bank in central Indiana. With rising food prices, hunger relief organizations have reported increasing demand for food assistance this year. And higher costs coupled with reductions in donations are making it harder for food banks to keep their shelves stocked.

"Now more than ever, we recognize the need to fund hunger relief in our communities," said Jeff Kolesar, interim president and CEO of Renaissance. "We are proud to continue to support food assistance programs nationally through the Feeding America network and also locally in Indiana through Gleaners, which is a member of the Feeding America food bank network."

Funds for Feeding America will go to food assistance programs and areas where they are most needed. The Feeding America network of food banks is in every county in the country. Its free food and grocery programs include mobile pantries, drive-thru pantries, senior food programs, SNAP Applications Assistance, backpack programs, school pantries and more.

"We are so grateful to the Renaissance Foundation for renewing their support of Feeding America with a gift of $30,000," said Dan Nisbet, vice president of development at Feeding America. "With record inflation and grocery prices still top of mind for working families, it is vital that we maintain people's passion for our mission and engage supporters nationwide to take action to help mitigate food insecurity – and to view food insecurity as an issue we can solve together."

At Gleaners, the Renaissance funds will be used to support its mobile food pantries. Since transportation can be a challenge for many in need, its mobile pantries take food to centrally located areas to reach those who may fall outside its reach. Gleaners provides hunger relief to families in 21 counties in Indiana.

"Currently, Gleaners is serving about 85 percent of the households that we served at the height of the pandemic, and the lines are showing no signs of slowing down," said Fred Glass, president/CEO of Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana. "This gift from the Renaissance Foundation comes at a time when inflation is hitting our neighbors hard. Gleaners relies on a strong network of support and partners like the Renaissance Foundation to help ensure that we are well-positioned to meet this sustained need."

Feeding America is the largest hunger relief organization in the United States. In partnership with a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 agency partners, Feeding America works to get nourishing food – from farmers, manufacturers, and retailers – to neighbors experiencing food insecurity while addressing the root causes of hunger. For more information, please visit https://www.feedingamerica.org/our-work.

Gleaners was founded in 1980 by a group of concerned citizens who felt strongly that no one should go hungry. Since that time, it has distributed nearly 700 million pounds of food and critical grocery items through a committed network of more than 300 food pantries, soup kitchens, schools and community partners. In addition to food distribution to hunger relief agencies throughout its 21-county service area, Gleaners also operates Fresh Connect Central, one of 7 regional produce cooperatives for Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger relief organization.

The Renaissance Foundation is a nonprofit, charitable organization established by Renaissance Life & Health Insurance Company with a mission to protect the overall health and well-being of individuals and families. Renaissance Life & Health Insurance Company of America and its sister company Renaissance Life & Health Insurance Company of New York, offer ancillary benefits for employer groups and individuals nationwide. With headquarters in Indianapolis, Ind., Renaissance is focused on providing outstanding dental, vision, life and disability insurance solutions and service. Visit www.renaissancebenefits.com, and find us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

SOURCE Renaissance Life & Health Insurance Company of America