American Airlines Donates 81,000 Pounds of Food to Food Banks

American Airlines distributed more than 81,000 pounds of food to food banks across the country through its partnership with Feeding America to help restock their dwindling supplies.

Volunteers helped sort food items for families in Fort Worth. All image credits: American Airlines

Food banks have seen an uptick in visitors since thecoronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak because the of the virus’s financial impact onfamilies. Air travel demands have also changed due to COVID-19, and Americanrealized a surplus of food from its inflight service and Admirals Club lounges.Now, the airline is donating food ranging from breakfast items to fresh produceto support area food banks.

“We saw this as an opportunity to care for the communitieswhere our team members and customers live and work,” said Ron DeFeo, SeniorVice President – Global Engagement for American. “The challenges facing localfood banks and the growing need for families to utilize the resources theseorganizations offer have been well documented. Once we learned of the surplus, weknew exactly what we were going to do with it.”

So far in April, American has donated:

People volunteer and bring food to their local food banks year-round, but the sudden rise in demand due to COVID-19 is being felt across the country. Staff members at different food banks voiced their support for American and its commitment to helping fight hunger.

Team members unpacked food donated to Tarrant Area Food Bank.

“Food banks are working around the clock to meet this risingdemand, but we cannot do it alone,” said Kate Maehr, Executive Director and CEOof the Greater Chicago Food Depository. “This generous product donation fromAmerican Airlines will ensure more of our neighbors have the food they needduring this challenging time.”

“Donations from American are helping food banks in Chicago,Dallas-Fort Worth and Phoenix stay afloat as they help families impacted by thepandemic. Keven Vicknair, President and CEO, Equal Heart, said he has noticedan ever-increasing need for support because both food banks and the people theyserve are being affected financially.

“Companies like American Airlines…enable us to remainoperational, especially now during the pandemic when demand is so high,”Vicknair said. “Personally, I am thrilled when local companies such as Americandonate food as it demonstrates a sense of community and the belief that we areall in this together and will only come through it if we work together.”

“When Minnie’s Food Pantry needed milk for kids in ourcommunity, it was American Airlines that answered the call. Instead ofdiscarding the milk that they no longer needed because of facility shut down,they thought outside the box and donated to Minnie’s Food Pantry,” said Dr.Cheryl Jackson, Founder, Minnie’s Food Pantry. “We are grateful to receive thisincredible donation which resulted in so many smiles the very next day. Weappreciate our partnership with American Airlines, it’s something special.”

“We will use these breakfast meals with the Fort Worth ISDand Birdville ISD to provide meals to children who normally receive the freebreakfast and lunch meals at their school, said Julie Butner, President and CEOof Tarrant Area Food Bank. “We are so appreciative of this gift because it willallow us to continue to provide meals for FWISD and Birdville ISD studentswhile they stay safe at home.”

Later this month, American will give more than 10,000 fooditems to the Global Food Bank Network in Hong Kong.