BOULDER, Colo. – As the pandemic-era boost to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) expired in many states last month, 41 million Americans saw their monthly benefits drop by $95 or more. At the same time, food costs increased 10.2%, leaving millions of American families facing a “hunger cliff” and turning to food banks to fill the gaps. As part of its mission to enhance lives Wana Brands, in partnership with the Wana Brands Foundation, is deploying its third annual #4ward20 campaign in honor of the 4/20 holiday. This year, Wana Brands is donating to nine locally focused nonprofits that support underserved populations in the communities the brand serves.

“In an environment with both rising food costs and reduced financial support, many Americans are struggling to keep themselves and their families fed.” said Nancy Whiteman, CEO of Wana Brands and founder of the Wana Brands Foundation. “This 4/20, Wana Brands is skipping the usual barrage of marketing materials and not-so-sustainable swag to focus instead on one of the causes nearest to our hearts: fighting food insecurity. To increase our impact, the Wana Brands Foundation has committed to providing an additional $150,000 to food organizations that provide immediate food security relief as well as longer term approaches for solving our country’s food crisis.”

From April 14-23, Wana Brands will donate $1 per Wana product sold at participating dispensaries to support diverse organizations that offer unique approaches to fighting for health equity in their communities:

• Arizona Food Bank Network (Phoenix): Purchases of Wana from Harvest dispensaries will benefit The Arizona Food Bank, which develops solutions to end hunger through food banking, public policy and innovation to create a hunger-free Arizona.
• Community Food Share (Boulder): Purchases from Native Roots will benefit Community Food Share’s mission to eliminate hunger in Colorado’s Boulder and Broomfield Counties through engagement, collaboration, and leadership.
• Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen & Pantry (Boston): Purchase Wana from Canna Provisions and support Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen & Pantry, a resource of food security for anyone in need in the Chicopee, Massachusetts area.
• Forgotten Harvest (Detroit): Purchase Wana from Greenhouse to support Forgotten Harvest, which delivers 144,000 pounds of surplus food per day to local charities five days a week, providing families in need with fresh and nutritious food free of charge.
• NourishKC (Kansas City): Purchases of Wana at BesaMe Wellness will support NourishKC, a nonprofit that rescues fresh local food, prepares nutritious meals, and serves as a community partner in Kansas City to address hunger’s core causes.
• Nakoda Aaniiih Economic Development Corporation (Missoula): Purchases of Wana at Greenhouse Farmacy in Missoula support Nakoda Aaniiih Economic Development Corporation, which aims to strengthen economic development in the communities on and adjacent to the Fort Belknap reservation through innovative programs and models.
• Three Square Food Bank (Las Vegas): Purchase Wana at Planet 13 and support Three Square’s work to provide wholesome food to hungry people while passionately pursuing a hunger-free community in Southern Nevada.

Throughout the month of April, Wana is also partnering on a public education initiative with We Don’t Waste, a Denver-based organization that combines sustainability efforts with food security initiatives by redistributing nourishing food that would otherwise have been discarded to those in need. Followers of the @wanabrands Instagram account can expect to see frequent tips on how to minimize food waste at home, culminating in an Instagram Live Q&A between Wana CEO Nancy Whiteman and We Don’t Waste Director of Impact and Engagement, Allie Hoffman, hosted on April 19 at 2pm Mountain Standard Time.

Additionally, the Wana Brands Foundation has gifted a total of $150,000 to three charities dedicated to fighting hunger, including:

• FAST Blackfeet: Based in Browning, Montana, FAST (Food Access and Sustainability Team) Blackfeet is a nonprofit organization founded by a group of involved citizens who are dedicated to improving food security, providing nutrition education, and reclaiming and building food sovereignty within the Blackfeet Nation.
• We Don’t Waste: This Denver nonprofit works to reduce hunger and food waste in the Denver area by recovering quality, unused food from the food industry and delivering it to nonprofit partners, such as food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, schools, daycare programs and more.
• Community Food Share: Fighting hunger in Boulder and Broomfield Counties, this nonprofit provides food directly to families, seniors, students and others, while also serving as a hub to deliver millions of pounds of food a year to local partners to reach people in their communities.

For more information on #4ward20 or to learn more about food insecurity and how to help, visit WanaBrands.com/WeedOutHunger. To schedule an interview contact Shawna Seldon McGregor at 917-971-7852 or [email protected].