ACE Group, the Philadelphia, Pa.-based global insurance company, said its ACE Charitable Foundation provided $200,000 in grants to five food organizations that are part of the Feeding America network.

Brian Dowd

Feeding America is one of the nation’s largest domestic hunger relief organizations, and ACE’s grants are part of an Economic Crisis Funding Initiative to help offset the hardships faced by U.S. food banks in a recessionary economy, the company said.

ACE’s grants will support five network partners of Feeding America, located in Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia and New York. The beneficiaries are Atlanta Community Food Bank, Greater Chicago Food Depository, Philabundance, and City Harvest and Food Bank for New York City, each of whom in turn supports hundreds of smaller organizations and food programs.

“ACE is committed to supporting programs that positively impact the communities and regions where our employees live and work,” said Brian Dowd, ACE’s chief executive of insurance-North America, in a statement. “By helping to expand and improve the availability and quality of the food supply and the quality of life for families impacted by the economic downturn, we hope to make a significant contribution in cities where ACE maintains offices.”