Oct. 16, 2020

Sanford Health has donated $3 million to food banks across its region, marking one of the largest donations to a series of food banks in the upper Midwest.

The donation to seven food banks includes Feeding South Dakota, which reaches 95,000 people annually who struggle with hunger. That number and need has increased over the past several months as the pandemic set in across the state, Sanford said in a statement. To help, Feeding South Dakota has increased mobile food distributions. With an average of 115 mobile distributions each month, the organization connects with 100 communities across the state and distributes 1.7 million pounds of food each month.

“At Sanford Health, we have always said we invest in the communities that we serve, and we have had a longstanding relationship with these organizations,” Dr. Allison Suttle, senior vice president and chief medical officer, said in a statement.

“Good health starts with good nutrition, and when we heard about the sharp increases in demand for food, we knew we needed to step in and help. Not having access to nutritious food can lead to the development of chronic illnesses and often aggravates the severity of existing conditions. This is a major investment in the well-being of our communities.”

The donation coincides with the 75th anniversary of the United Nation’s World Food Day, which promotes worldwide awareness and action for those who suffer from hunger and for the need to ensure healthy diets for all. The U.N. estimates that 2 billion people do not have access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food on a regular basis. Research shows that food insecurity is linked to health risks, including a range of chronic diseases in adults and developmental challenges in children.

“We all need to be good neighbors, especially in difficult times like this,” Suttle said. “We encourage our employees and everyone in the communities we serve to come together, support their local food banks, and by additional donations and volunteering our time, we can help eliminate hunger for those facing uncertainty during this ongoing pandemic.”