This past November, the O’Hagan Meyer Diversity and Inclusion Community Outreach Action Team recognized the growing hunger rate across the country, noting a 60% increase in the number of people seeking help from food banks, according to Feeding America. The same source also said over 50 million people may experience hunger because of COVID-19.

In response, the Community Outreach Action Team organized a firm-wide drive, benefitting different food banks and charitable organizations across the country, local to our offices.

Due to COVID-19 guidelines, many of our offices hosted virtual drives, while some were still able to collect food in person. We are thrilled to announce that collectively, O’Hagan Meyer provided an estimated 16,000 meals to its communities across the country! In addition to dozens of boxes and car trunks filled to the brim with food, just over $5,500 was collected in individual donations!

Thank you to everyone in the firm who participated, and especially to our food drive coordinators in each office. Those folks are listed below, along with each office’s beneficiary.

• Alexandria/D.C.: S.O.M.E. (So Others Might Eat) is an interfaith, community-based organization that exists to help the poor and homeless of our nation’s capital.
  • Jenn Hicks
• Boston: ABCD is an anti-poverty agency that assists the impoverished of 12 different Boston neighborhoods.
  • Gabriella Chakkos
  • Katie Vassall
• Charlotte: Loaves & Fishes meets the basic hunger needs by providing access to nutritious food within the community, because they believe access to nutritious food is fundamental.
  • Kristen Parsons
• Chicago: The Greater Chicago Food Depository acts as a hub for a network of more than 700 food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters and other programs that work to bring food, dignity and hope to its Cook County neighbors.
  • Taylor Dziurgot
  • Dan Nolan
• Detroit: Gleaners Community Food Bank serves multiple counties in southern Michigan and every year, they distribute about 45 million pounds of food, for an average 100,000 meals each day!
  • Loryn Frabutt
• Philadelphia: Philabundance exists to drive hunger from its communities and end hunger for good.
  • Jaime Duguay
  • Tamara Grimm
• Richmond: FeedMore is Central Virginia’s primary hunger relief organizations, with programs to support people and families in all walks of life.
  • Rachael Loughlin
  • Jenn Hicks
• San Francisco: Alameda County Community Food Bank has distributed millions of healthy meals each year to the children, adults and seniors of Alameda County.
  • Natalie Kirland
• Southern California: Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County feeds more than 250,000 individuals each month through their network of hundreds of community partners distributing food at locations in every city in the county.
  • Gouya Ranekouhi
  • Liana Bickford