Merit Health Jars of Love Peanut Butter Drive Collects Peanut Butter for Mississippi Food Network

4/6/2023

JACKSON, MS – To help address hunger in our community, and in celebration of National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day on April 2, Merit Health is donating more than 1,500 jars of peanut butter (and other nut butters) to Mississippi Food Network.

All of that peanut butter was donated by Merit Health employees, medical staff members, and volunteers during the recent Jars of Love Peanut Butter Drive.

According to the Map the Meal Gap, a study conducted by Feeding America, more than 66,000 residents in Hinds, Madison and Rankin counties don’t have enough to eat. “Food insecurity has a significant impact on a person’s overall health and wellbeing,” said Sam Dean, CEO of the Merit Health Jackson area hospitals. “Through our Jars of Love Peanut Butter Drive, we are working to help fight hunger in our community. I want to thank our generous employees for stepping up to be sure we could stock the shelves at Mississippi Food Network.”

Peanut butter is one of the most requested items for food banks because it is highly nutritious and has a long shelf life. Unfortunately, many food banks in America report it is also one of the least donated food items. Other items needed by Mississippi Food Network include canned meats, canned fruits and vegetables, cranberry sauce, canned soups, boxed mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese, and ramen noodles.

“In Mississippi, 1 in 4 children don’t know where their next meal is coming from,” says Mississippi Food Network COO Cassandra Mobley, “and in a state where so many of the children depend on the school breakfast and lunch programs as their main source of nutrition, partners such as Merit Health are invaluable in helping the Mississippi Food Network combat this problem. Many foods are hard to come by right now for many families due to rising prices as well as lack of access, and peanut butter is no exception, but it is a staple item for most food pantries. This food drive will allow Mississippi Food Network to supply many families with a much needed food item.”

For more information on how to support the Mississippi Food Network, or to sign up as a volunteer, visit their website at www.msfoodnet.org.

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