Hitachi Food Drive Campaign Provides Over 80,000 Meals During the Pandemic

Every year in the U.S., millions of people face food insecurity. In 2019, the food insecurity rate hit 10.5 percent, slightly below the 11.1 percent pre-recession level of 2007. Yet, 1 in 9 individuals, more than 35 million people including nearly 11 million children, were food insecure.

In early 2020, the global COVID-19 pandemic hit the U.S. and caused a severe economic slowdown and school and business closures that ended 10 years of declining food insecurity rates. According to the Household Pulse Survey (HPS) developed by multiple federal agencies to understand the extent of the pandemic’s impact, the food insecurity rate among U.S. adults rose from 9.5 percent in April 2020 to 13.4 percent in December 2020, before declining to 8.0 percent in April 2021. Food insecurity disproportionately impacted racial and ethnic groups of Native American, Black, and Latino individuals who continue to experience greater hardships in 2021.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Hitachi employees in North America gathered and donated items to local food banks and organizations. During the summer of 2021 when many employees were working remotely, Hitachi in North America wanted to continue to support the people at risk of hunger in our communities but in a different way than in previous years. Our employees raised money through a food drive campaign in June and provided over 80,000 meals in 25 states, including meals to children who didn’t have access to free or reduced-cost meals at school because of the summer break. The distribution of meals was made possible by a network of food banks in partnership with Feeding America.

Hitachi in North America continues to support our communities through our social contribution programs, both in-person and virtually at the grass-root level.

Sources:
USDA https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/key-statistics-graphics.aspx#foodsecure
Feeding America https://www.feedingamerica.org/research/coronavirus-hunger-research