AUBURN — Good Shepherd Food Bank recently received $45,200 from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to provide continued support for the organization’s hunger relief campaigns. Funding will help kick off the food bank’s Virtual Holiday Food Drive, which encourages people to donate online, saving costs and making it easier to give back.

“We are so grateful for this support from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation,” said Kristen Miale, president of Good Shepherd Food Bank. “These funds will be used to purchase nutritious foods like vegetables, fruits and whole grain cereal and pasta — items that our partner food pantries need for the families they serve. By leveraging grant funding and purchasing in bulk, the food bank is able to secure critical food resources for our partners.”

Good Shepherd works to eliminate hunger in Maine by sourcing and distributing nutritious food to people in need, building strong community partnerships and mobilizing the public in the fight to end hunger. In an effort to provide nutritious meals for those in need, the food bank has set a goal of $200,000 for this year’s Virtual Holiday Food Drive.

“A record 15 percent of Maine households face hunger, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” said Bill Williamson, Bank of America Maine president. “Kristen and her team have worked tirelessly to help bring this number down, and we encourage everyone to help by contributing to the Virtual Holiday Food Drive.”