Citizens Bank keeps food on the move to people in Vermont facing hunger
Barre, VT – With the help of Citizens Bank, the Vermont Foodbank will continue to keep a new truck on the road delivering food to people in Vermont struggling with hunger. Thanks to a generous donation toward the lease of this truck, it is on the road bringing food to people this holiday season.
The new, co-branded 26-foot refrigerated box truck joins the Foodbank’s fleet of eight trucks that move food throughout the state. It will support the Vermont Foodbank’s work delivering food to 215 food shelves, meal sites, senior centers and after-school programs. It will also travel monthly to schools and hospitals providing a mobile pantry of fresh food directly to families, children, older adults and individuals in need. Last year with the help of its fleet of trucks, the Vermont Foodbank shared 11.7 million pounds of food with people in need of food assistance.
“The Foodbank’s fleet of trucks is critical to our work of ensuring that all people in our state have enough food,” says Vermont CEO, John Sayles. “This truck will travel approximately 25,000 miles each year delivering food to people in every corner of the state. Because of the generosity of Citizens Bank, this key part of our operations will be well resourced to put nourishing meals on the tables of our neighbors throughout Vermont.”
This marks the second year that Citizens Bank has supported the Vermont Foodbank’s fleet, ensuring that there are trucks on the road delivering food to people in every county in the state.
“Citizens Bank is proud to continue our support the Vermont Foodbank and their lease of this 26’ delivery truck as part of effort to fight hunger in the Green Mountain State,” said Joe Carelli, President, Citizens Bank, New Hampshire and Vermont. “Having this truck on the road ensures that the Foodbank is able to deliver the equivalent of thousands of meals each week to communities of need,” said Carelli. “A point that becomes that much more elevated as we approach the holiday season.”
“This truck will be on the front lines of our work to ensure that no one in Vermont goes hungry,” adds Sayles. “When people see it on the road this holiday season, they will know that people in Vermont are getting the help they need, thanks to Citizens Bank.”
###
Vermont Foodbank is the state’s largest hunger-relief organization, providing nutritious food through a network of more than 300 community partners – food shelves, meal sites, schools, hospitals, and housing sites. Food insecurity has increased dramatically as a result of the pandemic, economic disruptions, and recent flooding. The Vermont Foodbank and its network have been on the front lines, working to ensure that everyone has the food they need to maintain their health. Last year, the Vermont Foodbank provided over 12 million pounds of food to people throughout Vermont. The Vermont Foodbank, a member of Feeding America, is nationally recognized as one of the most effective and efficient nonprofits and food banks in the nation.
