December 7, 2020
While Thanksgiving celebrations may have looked different in 2020, the commitment to support local communities, shown by Crum and Foster employees, remained the same.
For hardworking families across America, the economic impact of the pandemic means long-term financial hardship and food insecurity which reached an all-time high. Food banks across the country have been working tirelessly to make sure neighbors impacted by the crisis have the food they need. In order to be successful in this effort, great voluntary efforts were necessary. It is for this reason that Crum & Forster heartily participated in the following fundraising drives.
The Home Office (Morristown, N.J.) held a socially distanced food drive for the Interfaith Food Pantry, which is committed to ending hunger and to supporting self-sufficiency. This year, the Interfaith Food Pantry was able to provide 2,000 turkeys and trimmings – a record.
On the coldest day of the month, the Morristown Human Resources team accepted and sorted donations outside the office. Thanks to local employees, a large SUV was filled with vegetables, cranberries, gravy, stuffing, and more.
The Centennial, Colo., office collected donations for the Food Bank of the Rockies, whose mission is to help families thrive by efficiently procuring and distributing food and essentials to the hungry. This Thanksgiving, the Food Bank of the Rockies was able to provide nutritious meals to thousands of families in Colorado and Wyoming.
The Glastonbury, Conn., office held a drive-by food collection for Hands on Hartford and their Backpack Nutrition Program food drive. The Backpack Nutrition Program provides 230 children’s backpacks full of child-friendly, easy-to-prepare food to take home for the weekend (free breakfast and lunch are not available due to school closings). The executive team in Glastonbury helped unload donations from employees’ cars which totaled 581 pounds of food.
The Conway, Ark., office held an outdoor, socially distanced food drive for the Community Action Program for Central Arkansas (CAPCA), who believes that in order for citizens to succeed, certain key ingredients such as opportunity and resources are essential. During Thanksgiving week, the Food Pantry provided more than 5,840 meals in just two days. Crum & Forster’s Conway office donated over 300 packets of gravy to CAPCA’s Food Pantry.
The Meridian, Idaho, office reached out to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Ada County and discovered it needed arts and crafts supplies. The Meridian office collected and donated the needed supplies so the children of the Boys & Girls Clubs could get in touch with their creative side this holiday season.
The Eatontown, N.J., office ran a food drive for The Bayshore Lunch Program, which provides hot meals five days a week along with access to mental health counselors, social service specialists, and nurses. Eatontown has been both donating and serving this holiday meal since 2011. Unfortunately, because of COVID-19 restrictions, the hot meal program was suspended, but that did not stop employees from donating canned goods to a very worthy cause.
The Jersey City, N.J., office ran a food drive virtually for The Sharing Place, which provides assistance to reduce food insecurity to those in the greater Hudson County area. Jersey City held a contest between departments to further increase the donation.
The Akron, Ohio, office held a socially distanced food drive for the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, which provides food and other essential items to hunger-relief programs in eight Northeast Ohio counties. Since the start of Covid-19, the Foodbank has seen an increase in need of over 200%!
The Morrisville, N.C., office held a “Thanks+Giving” food drive to benefit Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, an organization pioneering innovative, transformative solutions designed to end hunger in seven North Carolina counties. Throughout the month of November, Morrisville employees donated over 500 pounds of food and $500 in donations.
The New York City office held a virtual Thanksgiving Raffle to benefit The Bowery Mission, whose goal is to be the most effective provider of compassionate care and life transformation for hurting people in New York City.
Other offices set up virtual donation drives for the following food banks and food-related organizations:
- Richmond, Va., office raised funds for Feed More, an organization that collects, prepares and distributes food to neighbors in need throughout Central Virginia. Their after-school Kids Cafes, School Markets, Weekend Backpacks, and Summer Food Service Program feed thousands of children and their families every year.
- Houston, Texas, office raised funds for the Houston Food Bank, whose mission is to provide food for better lives. In the last fiscal year, they provided access to 159 million nutritious meals in 19 counties in southeast Texas.
- West Des Moines, Iowa, office raised funds for the Food Bank of Iowa, which sources free and reduced-cost food for Iowans in need. In the month of October 2020, the Food Bank of Iowa distributed over 2.1 million pounds of food – a distribution record.
- Bay Shore, N.Y., office raised funds for Long Island Cares, whose Harry Chapin Food Bank distributes more than 8 million pounds of food and supplies annually. Long Island Cares was able to provide Thanksgiving meals to more than 5,300 families this year!
- Clackamas, Ore., office raised funds for the School Pantry at Wichita Family Support Center, a pantry providing pre-packaged snacks and meals to students and families in the North Clackamas area.
- Los Angeles, Calif., office raised funds for the LA Food Bank, whose mission is to mobilize resources to fight hunger in our community. Since Covid-19, food distribution has increased by 145%.
- Orange, Calif., office raised funds for Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County, a hunger-relief organization leading the fight to end hunger in Orange County. Between March and June 2020, it has provided more than 2 million pounds of food to more than 62,436 cars at its drive-through food distribution center.
- Philadelphia, Pa., office raised funds for Philabundance, an innovative, impactful and collaborative organization distributing more than 24 million pounds of food a year to those in need. The Philadelphia office surpassed its goal of raising $500!
- Cherry Hill, N.J., office raised funds for the Food Bank of South Jersey, which exists to provide an immediate solution to the urgent problem of hunger by providing food to people in need, teaching them to eat nutritiously, and helping them to find sustainable ways to improve their lives. Since COVID, they have been serving approximately 95,000 people a month – about a 40% plus over this time last year.
- Roswell, Ga., office raised funds for North Fulton Community Charities, which addresses homelessness and hunger. They provide a wide range of services and assistance including a food bank, thrift shop, education and workshops, and emergency financial assistance. This Thanksgiving they were able to serve 659 families and 174 seniors in their community!
At Crum & Forster, we believe in doing well by doing good and look forward to demonstrating our ongoing commitment to corporate social responsibility.
