Major League Baseball Players Association Pledge 1 Million Towards Hunger Relief Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Those two organizations are Feeding America and Meals On Wheels, which the MLB and MLBA are jointly contributing towards in the hopes of “offset[ing] childhood hunger and food insecurity issues for vulnerable populations as a result of the coronavirus pandemic,” according to the official press release announcing the donation. Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. is also quoted in the press release, explaining why this $1 million pledge had to happen now: “In these difficult times of navigating this pandemic, it is important that we come together as a society to help the most vulnerable members of our communities. As an institution, Baseball is extending our commitment to addressing childhood hunger and food availability issues during this crisis. We are grateful for the partnership with our players on this critical issue, which has the potential to deeply affect children and seniors.” As for what these organizations plan to do with the extra cash, Feeding America will put the money towards making sure that its member food banks throughout the country remain sufficiently stocked, while “Meals on Wheels America will use the emergency funds to boost the organizational capacity of the network to provide in-home meals to vulnerable senior citizens during this time of crisis,” per the press release. The donation will be split 50/50 between Meals On Wheels and Feeding America, with each organization receiving $500,000 to continue their important work in the face of this crisis.