Nearly 110,000 children go to bed hungry in Miami-Dade each night. 110,000. That’s a big number. And it takes a lot of big hearts to fight together to address a critical need of this magnitude in our community.
That’s why Wells Fargo and United Way of Miami-Dade are teaming up to make a difference. Last month, the bank awarded our United Way a $172,000 Hunger and Food Insecurity Grant. The funds will be used to expand the agency’s Community Cupboard which provides vulnerable families with access to food.
“We are proud to partner with Wells Fargo to increase the availability and accessibility of healthy foods for families in Miami-Dade who are working hard, but struggle to make ends meet,” said Maria C. Alonso, president and CEO, United Way of Miami-Dade. “With nearly six out of 10 households in Miami-Dade earning less than what they need to cover the basics, helping to put food on the table truly offers them peace of mind.”
The grant will help United Way offer more flexible hours for food distribution, and also sponsor two dietitians, who’ll work with the families by assessing their nutritional needs and developing food plans.
The grant will also support volunteer events aimed at providing food to struggling families during the summer when children don’t have access to food at school. The first function was a snack-packing event on June 14. Volunteers packed 520 snack packs with healthy, non-perishable food options.
We invite everyone to join the fight to provide good nutrition to children so that they can learn and grow. Find out how you can hold a food drive or donate to the Community Cupboard at www.unitedwaymiami.org/community-cupboard or email engagement@unitedwaymiami.org.