Amazon Air Hub employees support Go Pantry with large check and volunteers to fight hunger

Amazon Air Hub employees have volunteered with GO Pantry to distribute food and fight child hunger in communities. Employees have worked with the organization to restock their warehouses and help students in urgent need of food assistance. More than 1,200 hungry children in over 80 schools in Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana are receiving free or reduced-price meals.

Amazon Air Hub General Manager Karthik Bagavathi Pandian also presented GO Pantry with a $50,000 donation to fund the food distribution program. The organization's GO Bags and GO Boxes program provides a powerful way to help local children struggling with ongoing food access issues in underserved areas. Over the past decade, GO Pantry has worked with local communities to bridge the food insecurity gap and help families stay on the path to financial stability and a better life for their children.

Laura Dumancic, co-founder and executive director of GO Pantry, accepted the donation on behalf of the organization and said the funds will support its long-term mission to make a positive impact on the children it serves, their families and our communities.

“There are children suffering from hunger in every school in our community,” Dumancic said. “These needs are often overlooked because the children live in economically stable communities. People are always surprised that hunger is a real challenge in our area.”

1,200 children in Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Grant, Owen and Dearborn counties have been identified by their schools as being in the greatest need. During the school year, children served by GO Pantry receive their only meals at school through free and reduced-price meal programs, a reliable source of healthy, filling food for children. The children who receive GO Pantry “GO Bags” on weekends and “GO Boxes” during school holidays have been identified by their schools as those most at risk of not eating on the days they are not in school.

General Manager Karthik Bagavathi Pandian said he and his team at Amazon are proud to volunteer and help fight child hunger in Northern Kentucky.

“Students are our future innovators and their success depends on their ability to learn and be curious. They can't do that on an empty stomach,” said Bagavathi Pandian. “We are excited to support the communities of Northern Kentucky and Southeast Indiana through our partnership with GO Pantry, which provides a critical service to meet the nutritious food needs of children and their families.”

This donation is part of Amazon's ongoing commitment to fighting child hunger. More than 14 million children in the United States live in households where they regularly don't have enough to eat. This year, Amazon and GO Pantry are working to ensure many children in our community don't have to struggle with the daily challenges of food insecurity.