Ameriprise Financial and Feeding America® Join Forces to Help People in Need Ahead of the Holidays
“Recent USDA data shows that 34 million people – including nine million children – don’t have reliable access to food in this country*, and the 40-year high inflation we’re currently experiencing only makes matters worse,” said Brian Pietsch, head of Community Relations at Ameriprise. “The problem goes beyond ‘pain at the pump’ and sticker shock at the grocery store. Many families are being forced to make impossible tradeoffs -- choosing between putting food on the table, keeping their home heated, or paying for childcare and medicine. Feeding America is a lifeline many depend on in challenging economic cycles and we’re proud to once again help them lift up our communities where and when their support is most needed.”
For the 13th consecutive year, Ameriprise Financial is partnering with Feeding America®, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, to help provide meals for families and individuals in need ahead of the holiday season. On Nov. 3, more than 3,800 of the firm’s employees, advisors and clients will volunteer at Feeding America-affiliated food banks and other nonprofits across the country to serve meals, sort bulk food donations, stock shelves and host food drives to make a collective impact. The event is part of the firm’s National Days of Service, which the company organizes twice a year to help people experiencing hunger in communities across the country. Ameriprise volunteers have dedicated more than 360,000 hours toward hunger relief since the inception of the firm’s National Days of Service.
“Recent USDA data shows that 34 million people – including nine million children – don’t have reliable access to food in this country*, and the 40-year high inflation we’re currently experiencing only makes matters worse,” said Brian Pietsch, head of Community Relations at Ameriprise. “The problem goes beyond ‘pain at the pump’ and sticker shock at the grocery store. Many families are being forced to make impossible tradeoffs -- choosing between putting food on the table, keeping their home heated, or paying for childcare and medicine. Feeding America is a lifeline many depend on in challenging economic cycles and we’re proud to once again help them lift up our communities where and when their support is most needed.”
Ameriprise Gives More Than $2.8 Million in Grants to Nonprofits
Along with its nationwide volunteer events, Ameriprise is also donating more than $2.8 million in grants to 129 nonprofits across the country. Ameriprise focuses on three key giving areas when awarding grants: meeting basic needs, supporting vibrant communities, and amplifying the impact of the firm’s volunteers. In total, the company has donated more than $4.8 million and supported nearly 250 nonprofits through its two grant cycles in 2022. Recent grant recipients include:
- Northside Economic Opportunity Network, which builds wealth for low-to-moderate income grassroots entrepreneurs in North Minneapolis, Minnesota. The organization provides technical assistance, grant funding and loans – helping more than 1,000 small businesses flourish each year. By supporting a diverse, multi-cultural community of entrepreneurs, the network seeks to bring wealth, vibrancy and economic sustainability to the community.
- As one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States, the Brooklyn Museum hosts a comprehensive art collection that’s further enhanced by a rich array of accessible public programming. Examples of their special exhibitions and dynamic programming include hands-on art activities, family programs for Juneteenth and exhibits featuring artists with neurodiversity and mental illness. The Brooklyn Museum prides itself on being a cornerstone of the local community, a center for learning and a national model for the critical role of cultural institutions in community vitality.
- Serving the Boston, Massachusetts area for over fifty years, Just A Start builds equitable and thriving communities by guiding low-to-moderate income individuals and families on the path to economic stability through housing, education, career training and support services. Since its inception in 2016, the organization’s Financial Opportunity Program has provided over 1,500 people with free, high-quality financial coaching and education, helping participants maximize their financial resources and increase economic stability.
About Ameriprise Financial
At Ameriprise Financial, we have been helping people feel confident about their financial future for more than 125 years. With a network of approximately 10,000 financial advisors and extensive asset management, investment advice and insurance capabilities, we have the strength and expertise to serve the full range of consumer financial needs. For more information, visit ameriprise.com.
About Ameriprise Financial Community Relations
Ameriprise Financial is dedicated to utilizing the firm’s resources and talents to improve the lives of individuals and build strong communities. Through grants, volunteerism and employee and advisor gift matching programs, the company supports a diverse group of over 7,500 nonprofits across the country. The company also has a longstanding commitment to volunteerism. Each year, the firm’s employees are eligible for the eight hours of paid time off to volunteer. In 2021, the firm’s employees and advisors collectively spent nearly 50,000 hours volunteering in communities across the country.
About Feeding America
Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of more than 200 food banks, 21 statewide food bank associations, and over 60,000 partner agencies, food pantries and meal programs, we helped provide 6.6 billion meals to tens of millions of people in need last year. Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; brings attention to the social and systemic barriers that contribute to food insecurity in our nation; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
*USDA Economic Research Service: Food Security Status of U.S. Households in 2021
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