Bank of Utah enjoyed great success with its first annual Kick Childhood Hunger food drive, collecting more than two tons of food March 26 through April 20, 2018. Many generous customers, bank associates and friends dropped off donations of cash and non-perishable food at bank branches and loan offices throughout Utah. The locally-owned bank donated the food to 10 food pantries near their community branches.

The bank’s goal was to make it convenient for the community to help children and families in need by collecting cash and food at all its branches. One-in-six children in the Utah suffer from food insecurity, and as a result, many schools work in cooperation with local food pantries to ensure that food is in children’s backpacks, staving off hunger at school and in their homes. For example, in the Ogden and Weber County School Districts, an average of 44 percent of children are enrolled in free- or reduced-fee lunch programs for families with incomes at or below poverty level.

Bank of Utah accepted any non-perishable food item, but particularly food that children can easily use to feed themselves at home and school, including:

  • Canned pasta (spaghetti, ravioli, etc.)
  • Canned stew
  • Canned chili
  • Pasta sauce
  • Canned meat
  • Granola bars
  • Individual fruit cups/pouches
  • Peanut butter
  • Macaroni and Cheese
  • Oatmeal (packets)
  • Fruit Snacks
  • Peanut butter or cheese crackers

Valley View Elementary, in Roy, partnered with Bank of Utah on a school-wide food drive in March, garnering 3,000 food items in only four days. Bank of Utah awarded cash prizes in the amounts of $400 and $200 to the two classrooms that collected the most food. At the conclusion of the drive, Valley View students helped load nearly a ton of food to be taken to the Joyce Hansen Hall Food Bank. This valuable partnership demonstrates the great power that community members, businesses and organizations have when they come together for a worthy cause.

Bank of Utah plans to expand their efforts in 2019 to include more schools and community partners, thus providing even greater assistance to the local food pantries that stand on the front line, helping children and families in need.

Local food pantries benefiting from the food drive included Bountiful Food Pantry, Box Elder Food Pantry, Cache Food Pantry, Carbon Cares for Kids (Price), CCS of Northern Utah – Joyce Hansen Hall Food Bank (Ogden), Crossroads Urban Center (Salt Lake City), Switchpoint (St. George), OWCAP – Ogden-Weber Community Action Partnership (Ogden), Tabitha’s Way (Orem/Spanish Fork), and Tremonton Food Pantry.