Instead of another tie or bathrobe, why not give your friends and loved ones a chance to help Feeding America feed people facing hunger this holiday season and throughout the year? *

Give a Meal gives holiday shoppers a chance to support a great cause by helping provide food to the nearly 49 million Americans who struggle with hunger. Every $1 donated to the Give a Meal campaign helps provide eight meals to people in need.

“The holidays are a perfect time to give a gift that can make a difference in someone’s life,” said Vicki Escarra, President and CEO of Feeding America. “With Give a Meal, even a small donation will go a long way in helping make sure that people have something to eat this holiday season.”

Bank of America is the campaign’s signature partner and for every $1 donated via FeedingAmerica.org/BankofAmerica, the bank will contribute an additional $2, up to a total match of $500,000. This is in addition to a one million dollar contribution to Feeding America.

“With one out of six Americans struggling to find their next meal, ensuring that vulnerable populations have access to basic needs such as food is a critical component to revitalizing our nation’s economy,” said Kerry Sullivan, President, Bank of America Charitable Foundation. “In response to this crisis, nonprofit organizations like Feeding America play a crucial role to help individuals and families gain stability through vital programs and services, which ultimately strengthens communities across the U.S. This holiday season, we are thrilled to partner with Feeding America once again to help feed those at risk of hunger.”

Emmy Award winning talk show host Rachael Ray serves as the first celebrity ambassador for the campaign. Her Yum-o! Organization has committed a matching grant to Feeding America’s Produce Program in conjunction with the campaign.

“My Yum-o! Organization has been a part of the fight against childhood hunger in America since 2007. We are honored to support Feeding America’s campaign to ensure that millions of hungry kids have access to nutritious food,” Ray said. “This holiday season, give the gift of food and make it possible for Feeding America to provide meals to people struggling to put food on the table.”

Rachael Ray’s match will help provide fresh fruits and vegetables to Americans struggling with hunger. For every donation to Give a Meal, her Yum-o! Organization will make a donation to Feeding America’s Produce Program, up to 2 million servings of produce.

Give a Meal is also being backed by Feeding America Entertainment Council members, including Chef Mario Batali, host of ABC’s The Chew, Australian chef and television star Curtis Stone, rock sensations Benji and Joel Madden, Entertainment Tonight correspondent Samantha Harris, Grammy Award winning singer Monica, Food Network star Ellie Krieger, chef and TV host Sara Gore, TV food critic and host Katie Lee, and the platinum selling band OneRepublic.

The issue of hunger is especially critical during the holiday season when the need is particularly acute. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports that nearly 49 million Americans are facing hunger. Of those, more than 16 million are children – or more than 1 in 5 children are at risk of hunger in this country.

Bank of America’s support is part of an ongoing effort to address critical economic and social issues in the communities it serves through the bank’s Gift for Opportunity™ fund, established to extend the impact of customer and employee donations made to help address the growing demand for food assistance in both large and small communities during a critical time of the year.

Along with Bank of America, a number of other corporate partners have agreed to team up with Feeding America to fight hunger this holiday season. Corporate leaders such as Dillard’s, HMSHost, HoneyBaked Ham, and Winn-Dixie have all also joined the Give a Meal effort and are partnering with their customers to donate meals this holiday season.

You can check the status of this campaign by going to the running counter displayed on the Give a Meal webpage which has a running tally of number of meals that have been donated for the Give a Meal campaign.

“Fighting hunger requires a strong partnership between charities, businesses and individuals alike,” Escarra said. “Hunger is simply one battle we cannot afford to lose.”

LukewarmLegumes proudly supports Feeding America and its efforts to eliminate hunger in the United States. Please join us this holiday season and give the gift of meals for the hungry through the Give a Meal campaign.

* To give a gift in honor/memory of someone else visit the Feeding America website and check the box at the bottom of the page.