Amazon Air Hub associates help Go Pantry fight hunger with big check and volunteers


Associates from Amazon’s Air Hub volunteered with GO Pantry to distribute food and help combat childhood hunger in local communities. Employees worked with the organization to restock its warehouse, helping students who need emergency food support, where more than 1,200 hungry area children in over 80 schools across Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana receive free or reduced-price meals.

Amazon Air Hub General Manager Karthik Bagavathi Pandian also presented a $50,000 donation to GO Pantry to fund its food pantry program. The organization’s “GO Bags” and “GO Boxes” program offers an impactful way to help local kids struggling with the ongoing challenges of food accessibility in underserved areas. Over the past decade, GO Pantry has been working with local communities to close the gap of food insecurity as well as helping families stay on the path to financial stability and a better life for their children.

Amazon volunteers help Go Pantry back food bags (Photo by Ben Gastright)

GO Pantry Co-Founder and Executive Director Laura Dumancic accepted the donation on behalf of the organization and said the funds would support its long-term mission of making a positive impact on the kids served, their families, and our communities.
 
“Every school in our community has kids that are hungry,” said Dumancic. “These needs are often overlooked because the kids live in economically stable communities. People are continually surprised that hunger is a real challenge in our local area.”
 
1,200 area children in Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Grant, Owen, and Dearborn counties have been identified by their schools as those in the greatest need. During the school year, the kids GO Pantry serves may get their only meals at school through free and reduced meal programs, a reliable source of healthy, filling food for kids. The children receiving GO Pantry weekend “GO Bags” and school break “GO Boxes” have been identified by their schools as those most at risk of not eating on the days they are away from school.

Amazon team presents $50,000 check to Go Pantry (Photo by Ben Gastright)
 
General Manager Karthik Bagavathi Pandian said he and his team at Amazon were proud to volunteer and help fight childhood hunger in the Northern Kentucky community.

“Students are our future innovators and their success depends on their ability to learn and be curious. They can’t do that on an empty stomach,” said Bagavathi Pandian. “We are excited to support the Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana communities by partnering with GO Pantry that provides a critical service to meet the needs for children and their families to access nutritious food.”

This donation is part of Amazon’s ongoing commitment to fighting childhood hunger. More than 14 million children in the United States live in homes where they don’t regularly have enough food to eat. This year, Amazon and GO Pantry are working to make sure that many kids in our community do not struggle with the daily challenges of food insecurity.


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