Nov 30, 2009 / 11:07 am
On Wednesday the Knights of Columbus announced its commitment of $1 million to food banks across the U.S and Canada to support families in need.
“At a time when record numbers are at risk of hunger, and with fewer able to give financially to charity, the Knights of Columbus hopes this program will help both to alleviate the problem, and to encourage other religious and charitable organizations – as well as businesses and corporations – to conduct similar programs,” said Supreme Knight Carl Anderson, who announced the initiative Wednesday morning.
According to the USDA, nearly 50 million Americans experienced food insecurity last year, while statistics in Canada have shown an increase in food bank usage by 18 percent. The Knight's “Food for Families” program is one of the many aspects of the “Neighbors Helping Neighbors” project which was organized in February of this year as a response to the present economic crisis.
Despite the current economy, members of the Knights of Columbus set records last year by donating 69 million hours of volunteer service and more that $150 million to to charitable causes.