As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, a growing number of families and seniors are facing food shortages or worries of food shortage. To help address this urgent problem in the communities it serves, Giant Food Stories LLC, announced it is donating a total of $250,000 to four local hunger relief organizations including the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Philabundance, Maryland Food Bank and Meals on Wheels Pennsylvania.

These organizations represent hope to those in over 30 counties within two states as they work through extraordinary circumstances to supply food to hundreds of food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters.

“The Giant Company’s purpose is to connect families for a better future, which is why we are acting with urgency and providing them with funds now so they can continue to support our most vulnerable neighbors. Working together, we can truly make a difference and it’s our hope that anyone who can joins us in providing relief to these life-sustaining organizations,” said Nicholas Bertram, president of Giant.

The Giant Company also donated $250,000 to support COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Penn State Children’s Hospital, The Janet Weis Children’s Hospital at Geisinger, Children’s National Hospital, and Johns Hopkins Children’s Center will each receive $50,000.

“Our team is in full force preparing and responding to this crisis,” said DeAnn Marshall, president, Children’s National Hospital Foundation. “There is so much we will need to tackle in the days, weeks and months ahead - for our patients and their families, our community and our care providers and staff who are working tirelessly to stem the tide.”

Each hospital has mobilized their teams to combat COVID-19 in their respective communities. In the case of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Children’s National Hospital, they have established drive-thru COVID-19 testing centers for children who are most at-risk. In addition, the hospitals are working to ramp up their telemedicine programs to make care as accessible as possible during this time, providing the necessary personal protective equipment and resources to support the well-being of their medical staffs and helping to accelerate research efforts to improve treatments.

“While there has been a great focus on the effects COVID-19 has on our older population, children fighting cancer or other serious medical conditions with weakened immune systems may need further specialty care,” said Nicholas Bertram, president, The Giant Company.