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February is often called the month of love. Valentine’s Day reminds us to celebrate the people and connections that matter most. But love can go far beyond roses and chocolates—it can be a warm meal shared with someone in need, a grocery bag filled with essential items, or a simple act of kindness that reminds people they’re not alone.

The Growing Need in Utah

Hunger is an issue that touches every corner of Utah. More than 415,000 Utahns are food insecure, including 1 in 6 children. These families aren’t worried about what they will eat for dinner… They’re worried if they will have dinner at all.

The reasons for food insecurity vary. Rising housing costs, unexpected medical bills, job loss, and inflation have left many families stretched thin. Often, parents skip meals to ensure their children are fed, or seniors on fixed incomes choose between buying groceries or medication. Access to healthy food should never be a matter of chance, cost, or circumstance.

Why Giving Matters

At its heart, food is more than sustenance. It’s a symbol of care, comfort, and connection. A warm meal can provide not only physical nourishment but also hope and reassurance during tough times. When you donate to Utah Food Bank, you’re not just filling bellies—you’re showing families that they matter and that their community supports them.

Here’s some of the ways you can share your heart with our neighbors facing hunger:

• Give Food: Non-perishable items like canned goods, peanut butter, pasta, and rice are staples for many families. Every can or box you give helps fill an empty pantry and brings relief to someone who might otherwise go hungry.
• Give Time: Volunteering time is one of the most valuable gifts you can give. Whether you’re sorting food in our warehouse, or delivering meals to homebound seniors, your efforts directly impact lives.
• Give Money: With our partnerships and resources, we can turn $1 into $7.80 worth of goods and services for those in need. Your financial gifts help us keep shelves stocked, fuel our delivery trucks, and get food to all 29 counties statewide.

Programs That Spread Love Year-Round

At Utah Food Bank, we operate several programs that provide support to families:

• Mobile Pantries: A drive-through food distribution resource for families in need of nutritional assistance.
• Kids Cafe: Filling the nutrition gap that often exists during out-of-school hours for many children who rely on free or reduced-price meal programs during the school day.
• Mobile School Panties: This program provides a cost-effective food distribution point for children and their families at the end of the school day in a safe and trusted environment—the school.
• Food Box Programs: We deliver monthly boxes of nutritious food to help to homebound seniors and people with disabilities stay healthy and independent.

These programs, and many more, are strengthened by your gifts of food, time, and money.

How You Can Help

Here are a few ways to make an impact:

• Host a Food Drive: Gather your friends, coworkers, or community group to collect non-perishable items. Every can counts!
• Donate Online: A financial donation is one of the most efficient ways to support our mission. From our secure donation link, you can opt to make a one-time or recurring donation.
• DIY Fundraisers: A DIY Fundraiser can be anything you want it to be! Create a unique fundraising page, share the link with your friends and family, and all donations are processed securely through our JustGiving platform!
• Volunteer: Sign up for a shift at our warehouse or explore other volunteer opportunities statewide.
• Spread Awareness: Share our mission on social media and encourage others to get involved. Together, we can amplify the message that food is love.

Fighting Hunger Statewide Together

As you celebrate Valentine’s Day this month, let’s extend that love beyond our homes and into our communities. Whether it’s a box of mac and cheese, an hour of your time, or a financial gift, every contribution is a symbol of care and compassion.

In 2025, our mission of Fighting Hunger Statewide remains an urgent challenge, and one group continues to highlight the complexity of the issue: A.L.I.C.E.

A.L.I.C.E. is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. This represents working families who earn above the federal poverty threshold but still do not qualify state or federal assistance programs like SNAP or WIC. Despite being employed, these families grapple with stretching their limited resources. Many economic factors play a role, but housing costs and rising cost of food stand out as a significant contributors. Utah’s lack of affordable housing is well-known and felt by many residents.

In 2024, 38% of Utah households fell below the A.L.I.C.E. threshold, highlighting the persistent struggle for financial stability. Families in this category often face impossible decisions—prioritizing rent over groceries, delaying essential medical care, or cutting other necessities to make ends meet. For many, one unexpected expense can trigger a crisis.

We know that hunger wears many faces: a mother in Hurricane Valley, a senior in San Juan County, or a child awaiting a summer meal. The latest Voices for Utah Children report shows that 68% of families require dual incomes to cover housing and other basic needs, emphasizing that A.L.I.C.E. families are doing everything they can, yet they remain in line for food assistance. They live in the precarious space between self-sufficiency and poverty.

“Together, we are Fighting Hunger Statewide and working toward a future where every Utahn has access to nutritious food,” emphasizes Ginette Bott, President & CEO of Utah Food Bank. “Our mission relies on collective efforts. Gifts of food, time, or money make a tangible difference for families in need.”

Meeting the rising demand is an uphill battle. The looming threat of a “Hunger Cliff”—where progress in combating food insecurity stagnates or reverses—underscores the urgency of the situation. Without help, hunger rates across Utah communities will only get worse.

To join us and support Utah families facing these challenges, click here to donate or volunteer. With your help, we can help ensure a brighter future for all Utahns striving to overcome financial hardship.

As we bid farewell to 2024, we are reminded of the countless Utahns who face the harsh reality of hunger every day. Rising costs of housing, food, and other essentials have placed enormous pressure on hardworking families, forcing impossible decisions between putting food on the table or meeting other basic needs. This holiday season, you have the power to make a monumental difference—and thanks to the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, your generosity can go twice as far.

We are thrilled to announce an incredible opportunity to double your impact. From December 27 through December 31, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation has pledged to match every donation made to Utah Food Bank, up to $100,000 in total! Even more compelling, with this matching grant, every $10 you give will provide $156 worth of goods and services to individuals and families in need. This is a chance to make a tangible difference in your community.

The demand for food assistance in Utah has reached unprecedented levels. Skyrocketing prices have left many of our neighbors struggling to afford even the most necessities. In these challenging times, your compassion can be a lifeline.

By participating in this matching gift opportunity, you’re not only doubling your donation—you’re doubling the hope for a brighter future.

How You Can Help

Time is of the essence. The matching gift offer ends at midnight on December 31. Here’s how you can make a difference:

• Donate Online: Visit the link to make your secure, tax-deductible donation today.
• Spread the Word: Share this with friends and family to maximize its reach.

As we approach 2025, let’s come together to support our mission of Fighting Hunger Statewide. Your generosity will not only provide food but also bring hope to those who need it most. This is your chance to make a lasting impact and help create stronger, more resilient communities throughout Utah. Together, we can make this a season of giving that truly changes lives.

Click here to double your donation today!

As the holidays approach, we’re reminded of the season’s spirit: sharing, caring, and coming together as a community. But for many Utahns, this time of year is shadowed by uncertainty. While you’re busy making your list and checking it twice, we invite you to reflect on those in our community who are facing impossible choices—like the 1 in 6 Utah children who don’t know where their next meal will come from. Your support can transform their season, bringing relief where there is hunger and hope where there is uncertainty. 

The holidays can be an overwhelming time for those facing financial challenges. Parents on tight budgets often find themselves weighing the cost of heating their homes against putting food on the table. For individuals on fixed incomes, even a minor unexpected expense can disrupt their carefully managed finances. Meanwhile, parents with children at home during winter break face the added strain of providing extra meals, turning an already stressful season into an even heavier burden. These struggles are not only practical but deeply emotional, overshadowing what should be a time of celebration and togetherness. The pressure to fill a stocking or wrap a gift can push parents to make unimaginable sacrifices, such as skipping their own meals to bring even the smallest joy to their children. 

Yet, in the midst of these challenges, we see the profound impact of compassion and community. At our Southeastern Distribution Center in Blanding, volunteers recently came together to assemble a critical mobile pantry order for Navajo Mountain, ensuring remote communities received the nourishment they needed. In southern Utah, our mobile pantries continue to be lifelines for those who lack reliable transportation. One client, after an unexpected medical expense drained their monthly budget, shared how our Beryl Junction mobile pantry provided essential support along with dignity and compassion in a time of vulnerability. 

These moments of relief and hope are made possible by people like you. Your support of Utah Food Bank helps ensure that no one in our community must choose between feeding their family and staying warm.  

How You Can Help
We’re committed to Fighting Hunger Statewide, but we can’t do it without you. Here are a few ways you can get involved this holiday season: 

• Give Food: Participate in food drives hosted by businesses and organizations across Utah as part of our Holiday Food & Fund Drive, or drop off donations at any of our locations. 

• Give Time: Volunteers are the backbone of Utah Food Bank. Last year, their efforts were equivalent to 88 full-time employees, helping us distribute food free of charge across the state. 

• Give Money: Every $1 you donate allows us to provide $7.80 worth of goods and services. Whether it’s a one-time gift or becoming a Monthly Meal Maker, your support makes a real difference. 

• Host a Fundraiser: Use our JustGiving platform to organize a DIY Fund Drive—perfect for holiday parties, family gatherings, or workplace initiatives, and it can be done in just minutes! 

There’s no shortage of ways to make a difference, and your generosity—whether through food, time, or money—directly impacts the lives of our neighbors experiencing hunger. Together, we can bring hope to Utah families in need this holiday season.  

Special thanks to our Holiday Food & Fund Drive sponsors: my99.5, the George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Foundation, Harmons, Riverton Chevrolet, and Wells Fargo. 

Happy GivingTuesday! This year, we’re thrilled to share some exciting news: an anonymous donor is doubling the impact of your generosity by matching every gift, dollar for dollar, up to $75,000! Your support can transform lives, especially for the 1 in 6 Utah kids who worry about where their next meal might come from. With this incredible match, a $10 donation today provides $156 worth of essential goods and services for families facing hunger.

GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Since then, it has grown into a year-round initiative that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity.

As Utahns navigate the rising cost of living, the need for support has never been greater. Families and individuals are struggling with tough choices—keeping the heat on, staying housed, or putting food on the table. Jill, a retired senior, shared her story:

“Being retired, it’s hard to make choices for healthy food when my financial circumstances are so tight. The meat, the fresh fruit, the dairy – it’s all so expensive right now. When I can, I like to contribute to Utah Food Bank as well. What a blessing this food is, and such a gift.”

No one in our community should have to face hunger, especially during the holidays. GivingTuesday is our chance to come together, embracing the season of generosity and making a tangible difference. Every gift ensures that twice as many Utahns will receive the nourishment they need to thrive.

Let’s make this holiday season a celebration of unity, kindness, and hope. Join us today in spreading warmth and care to our neighbors in need. Together, we can create a brighter future for everyone in Utah.

Click HERE to help make the holidays a little brighter.