During the holiday season, the need for emergency food increases as local food pantries and meal programs do all that they can to provide extra nourishment for their clients.

This season, demand is even higher with grocery prices on the rise.

To help the community during this difficult time, Foodlink is spending more money this holiday season on whole chickens, dairy and produce boxes to help ensure that those who are food insecure have enough food on the table.

Foodlink is in the process of receiving local produce and dairy boxes that have been purchased from our partner, Headwater Food Hub. In total, Foodlink has purchased 29,300 boxes to provide to its members (e.g., local food pantries, meal programs, shelters, etc.), free of charge. Members will provide these boxes to their clients within the community. Each box is 20 pounds and includes a combo of produce and dairy.

To find a local food pantry or meal program near you, visit our Find Food page.

Combo boxes include:

Produce:

• One fruit
• One green – all greens are either bagged or clam shelled to preserve the shelf life
• One starch
• One allium
• Either tomatoes or peppers
• Either apples or pears

Dairy:

• Milk
• Quart of yogurt
• One dozen eggs
• Either butter, cheddar cheese, or cream cheese

In addition to the combo boxes, Foodlink is also purchasing and providing chickens to local food pantries and meal programs free of charge. In total, Foodlink has purchased 36,690 chickens.

Compared to last year, Foodlink has purchased 7% more product to help serve the community during the holidays as its members are seeing an increased demand for services. To put that into perspective, Foodlink’s network of food pantries and meal programs are distributing an average of almost 100,000 more meals per month than the average from last year. This stark increase does not even factor in the increased numbers from this holiday season.

“As the nation grapples with soaring food prices, it’s critical that we – as the hub of the emergency food system – can plan ahead to provide more healthy food for those who depend on our services and partnership,” said Terra Keller, COO/CFO of Foodlink. “This will be our busiest holiday season in years – and we’re grateful for the community’s support, and the support of our network to get this food into households with both urgency and compassion.”