Billionaire Philanthropist MacKenzie Scott Donates To Good Shepherd Food Bank Of Maine

A lot of hungry Maine families will soon benefit from Ms. Scott's generous donation.

Following MacKenzie Scott's divorce back in 2019 from her husband Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, she committed to helping those in need across America.  On Tuesday of this week, the author and philanthropist announced that she has and will continue to donate $4.1 billion to 384 organizations, including the Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine.

In an essay entitled 384 Ways To Help that was published this week, Ms. Scott said that the COVID-19 pandemic "has been a wrecking ball in the lives of Americans already struggling. Economic losses and health outcomes alike have been worse for women, for people of color, and for people living in poverty. Meanwhile, it has substantially increased the wealth of billionaires."

The essay by Ms. Scott goes on to say that she is committed to offering "immediate support to people suffering the economic effects of the crisis".

In a press release yesterday, Good Shepherd Food Bank President Kristen Miale said, "We are quickly convening our board of directors, leadership team, and other stakeholders, and working hard to ensure that the philanthropy entrusted to us will help more Mainers access more nutritious food equitably and efficiently—now during the crisis of COVID-19, and for the long term."

The Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine expects to receive its gift from MacKenzie Scott  in early 2021, and plans to share details about the gift and how it will be invested across Maine’s charitable food network at that time.

The Good Shepherd Food Bank of Maine supplies many food pantries in our area via it's food distribution center in Hampden.  Before the COVID-19 pandemic set in earlier this year they were serving 180,000 Mainers in need, now that number has risen to 215,000 people,  with 60,000 of them being children.

We thank Ms. Scott for her generous contribution that will help many Mainers in need this coming winter.