$100,000 anonymous donation to NH Food Bank boosts Spirit of Giving Food Drive

Matching donation provides opportunity to generate $200,000 and 400,000 meals.

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NH Food Bank/File photo

MANCHESTER – For the fifth year in a row the New Hampshire Food Bank has received a generous matching pledge from an anonymous benefactor – this year, $100,000 – to kick off the WMUR weekend Spirit of Giving Food Drive, Dec. 7-9.

With this dollar-for-dollar matching pledge of up to $100,000 through the end of 2018,  the Food Bank has the opportunity to raise $200,000 – and generate 400,000 meals – in support of the 1-in-9 New Hampshire residents classified as “food insecure,” meaning they don’t know where their next meal is coming from.

This same anonymous donor has provided $375,000 to the New Hampshire Food Bank through matching donations over the past four years. With the New Hampshire Food Bank raising the match each year, these anonymous donations have helped raise $750,000, which equates to 1.5 million meals for the hungry. The New Hampshire Food Bank can turn every dollar donated into approximately two nutritious meals. For more information and to donate, visit: www.nhfoodbank.org/spirit.

“We are extremely grateful for this generous donation, which comes at such a critical time of year for families struggling with food insecurity,” said Eileen Liponis, executive director, New Hampshire Food Bank. “The holiday season represents a time of joy and celebration, but it can also be challenging for many people who must choose between paying bills, buying food and making sure their families have warm clothes. This continued support characterizes the holiday spirit here in New Hampshire, while also easing the burden for so many people in need.”

Last year, WMUR’s Spirit of Giving Food Drive generated 1,146,298 meals – from food and financial donations – for people in need across New Hampshire. During the last four years, the WMUR Spirit of Giving Food Drive has generated more than 3,283,036 meals.

The New Hampshire Food Bank, which receives no state or federal funding for food distribution, distributes food to a statewide network of more than 425 partner agencies. During 2017, the New Hampshire Food Bank distributed nearly 13.7 million pounds of food to its partners statewide. The timing of this anonymous donation is critical as, to meet the demand, the New Hampshire Food Bank expects to deliver more than 14 million pounds of food by the end of 2018.

For more information and to donate, visit www.nhfoodbank.org.


About the New Hampshire Food Bank
The New Hampshire Food Bank, a program of Catholic Charities New Hampshire, has been working to relieve hunger in the Granite State since 1984. In 2015, as the state’s only Food Bank, the New Hampshire Food Bank efficiently procured and distributed over 12 million pounds of food to people in need through more than 400 non-profit registered agencies. Agencies include food pantries, neighborhood centers, low-income housing sites, senior nutrition centers, family crisis centers, hospices, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after school programs, and day care centers. For more information about the New Hampshire Food Bank, please visit www.nhfoodbank.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

About this Author

NH Food Bank

The New Hampshire Food Bank, a program of Catholic Charities New Hampshire, has been working to relieve hunger in the Granite State since 1984. According to Feeding America projections, approximately 131,590 Granite Staters could experience food insecurity in 2021, a 10-percent change due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Approximately 30,950 children are living in food-insecure environments, which is an 11-percent change. In 2020, as the state’s only Food Bank, the New Hampshire Food Bank efficiently procured and distributed more than 17 million pounds of food to people in need through more than 400 non-profit registered agencies. Agencies include food pantries, neighborhood centers, low-income housing sites, senior nutrition centers, family crisis centers, hospices, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, after-school programs, and daycare centers. For more information about the New Hampshire Food Bank, please visit www.nhfoodbank.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram.