Ahead of Taylor Swift害羞草研究所檚 July 14, 2023, concert in Denver, Aditi Desai, chief marketing officer at the Food Bank of the Rockies, got an unusual call. The billionaire pop star wanted to donate tens of thousands of meals to the nonprofit 害羞草研究所� a philanthropic effort she had repeated, much like her favorite songs, as she traverses the country on her 52-city Eras Tour.

害羞草研究所淚 was shocked and then thrilled by the news,害羞草研究所� Desai said. 害羞草研究所淲hen (Swift害羞草研究所檚 representatives) shared the news, they were so kind, letting us know that Taylor wanted to express her gratitude for the work we do in our community every day.害羞草研究所�

Since last March, Swift has donated the equivalent of hundreds of thousands of meals to help feed the growing number of Americans grappling with rising food and housing costs. She chooses to give without celebrity fanfare, and the gifts have been welcomed. But food bank operators say they have provided only temporary relief, as food insecurity has been spiking and federal government COVID-19 aid has ended.

害羞草研究所淲e got so much support during COVID,害羞草研究所� said Jessica Sund, director of development and communications at Channel One Regional Food Bank of Minnesota, which received funding from Swift. 害羞草研究所淭hat really helped us not have a horrible situation. But the numbers we害羞草研究所檙e seeing are so much higher now because of inflation and cost of living, and all of that support is gone.害羞草研究所�

Swift害羞草研究所檚 support has been meaningful, food bank operators say, especially in drawing attention to their crucial service for low- and mid-income people. But food banks, collectively, require billions of dollars in funding per year, said Kyle Waide, CEO of Atlanta Community Food Bank, who is chair of the National Council for Feeding America and whose Georgia food bank is a Swift grantee.

The annual funding shortfall between what is needed in food assistance and what is provided by the federal government is roughly $33 billion, according to Feeding America, a network of food banks, pantries, and local meal programs.

害羞草研究所淎t a macro level, food banks are certainly facing lots of pressure right now, mainly because of just the extraordinary level of demand that害羞草研究所檚 out in the community,害羞草研究所� Waide said.

Typically, according to Feeding America, food banks rely on individual and corporate donations, contributions from local farmers and retailers, and federal aid programs to sustain operations.

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75,000 Meals

The self-described 害羞草研究所渢ortured poet,害羞草研究所� who has an estimated net worth of more than $1 billion, has a history of supporting emergency relief causes. Swift害羞草研究所檚 charitable fund at the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee was set up to respond to flooding that struck the region in 2010. She gave $1 million to the community foundation害羞草研究所檚 Tennessee Emergency Response Fund last year.

Food banks fortunate enough to receive a slice of her wealth have praised the pop star for highlighting their efforts to reduce hunger amid inflation, rising food and energy costs, and increased demand for their services. At least 49 million Americans rely on food from food banks and other charities. Young people, who make up a large portion of Swift害羞草研究所檚 audience, are increasingly affected by food insecurity. More than half of those ages 18 to 34 said rising food costs were chief among their biggest financial worries.

Swift害羞草研究所檚 public relations team declined to comment about her food bank donations. Grantees said they were asked not to disclose the amount of the gifts. However, Desai said the contribution allowed the food bank to purchase enough food for 75,000 meals. Typically, the food bank can provide about three meals for every $1 donated, she said.

Channel One Regional Food Bank of Minnesota was able to purchase 30,000 meals with its donation, according to Jessica Sund, the organization害羞草研究所檚 director of development and communications. Food banks can purchase anywhere from two to 10 meals per dollar donated, she said.

害羞草研究所淚t really does range dramatically from food bank to food bank,害羞草研究所� Sund said.

At Channel One, it usually costs about $8 million a year to keep shelves stocked with enough food to support roughly 300,000 visits from people in 14 counties.

Keeping It Real(istic)

Swift害羞草研究所檚 gifts seem to amount to a tiny percentage of the revenue earned from the tour and her personal wealth. Nevertheless, many of her food bank grantees consider the exposure that she gives them priceless.

Her donation provided the kind of media attention that Food Bank of the Rockies could never afford, Desai said. 害羞草研究所淲e saw rapid increases in 害羞草研究所榣ikes害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所榗omments害羞草研究所� on the social media post announcing the gift, with exponentially more engagement than we typically receive,害羞草研究所� Desai said.

Some food banks said they saw a bump in small donations in response to the press coverage. It was short-lived, and most continue to be challenged by high demand for their services as more Americans struggle to make ends meet.

Channel One is seeing an increase in individuals and families reaching out for the first time as they realize they can no longer afford to buy food on their own, Sund said. Currently, the organization receives 10,000 visits to its on-site food shelf in Rochester, Minnesota, which is roughly a 50 percent increase from last year, she said.

Sund and other food bank leaders point to inflation and the lack of affordable housing as contributing to increased demand. The end of government pandemic relief funding has exacerbated these issues, they said. In 2020, at the height of the pandemic, the federal government expanded the Child Tax Credit program for low-income families. Lawmakers allowed the policy to expire at the end of 2021. Similarly, temporary benefit increases for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program expired in March 2023.

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley also received a gift from Swift during the U.S. leg of her tour. The organization had heard that Swift was donating to food banks and reached out to her press team about a month ahead of her performances in Santa Clara last July, said Shobana Gubbi, chief philanthropy officer at Second Harvest of Silicon Valley.

害羞草研究所淎 day before the concert, they just called us,害羞草研究所� she said.

Gubbi declined to provide further details about the donation, saying only that the organization was grateful for the gift and for Swift 害羞草研究所渟hining a light害羞草研究所� on food insecurity. However, the situation on the ground has not greatly improved. The Silicon Valley region has been deeply affected by layoffs within the tech sector that have resulted in less giving, even from those who are still employed, Gubbi said. People are fearful about job security and are giving less; and when those donations decline, it also means less money from corporate matches, Gubbi added.

In response, Second Harvest is tightening its budget and keeping staff small, she said. The rations of food have also been downsized; rather than providing gallons of milk, the bank is now handing out half gallons and giving meats, eggs, and dairy on alternating weeks, she said. Some weeks people receive meats, and on others they may only get dairy and eggs, Gubbi explained. The organization is currently serving 500,000 people a month, roughly the same as during the peak of the pandemic.

害羞草研究所淎t the moment we are having a lot of challenges in terms of getting support from the community,害羞草研究所� she said.

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Stephanie Beasley is a senior writer at the Chronicle of Philanthropy, where you can read the . This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as part of a partnership to cover philanthropy and nonprofits supported by the Lilly Endowment. The Chronicle is solely responsible for the content. For all of AP害羞草研究所檚 philanthropy coverage, visit .

Stephanie Beasley Of The Chronicle Of Philanthropy, The Associated Press