When the Arizona Food Bank Network received a call that Taylor Swift wanted to make a hefty donation to the charity as she kicked off her Eras tour in the state, some staffers thought it was a prank.

but it was no joke. The megastar, who is raking in big bucks from her blockbuster concerts, has been giving back to communities where she plays. From Georgia to Michigan to Texas to California and in between, food banks have benefited.

In Arizona, Swift’s donation in March allowed the network to send several tractor-trailers filled with 40,000 pounds of fresh produce to its member food banks, said Terri Shoemaker, a spokesperson at the nonprofit organization. Plus, it bolstered funding for programs aimed at combating hunger, such as helping eligible children gain access to free and reduced-price school meals and senior citizens obtain food stamps.

Taylor Swift’s donation certainly helped at a time when we’re seeing the need climb and climb and climb,” Shoemaker told CNN.Food banks around the country are contending with increased demand, higher costs and tighter supplies of donated food. Last year, about one in six people turned to hunger relief programs for support, according to Feeding America, a national network of food banks, pantries and meal programs.

Many food banks say need has increased in 2023, driven in part by the end of a pandemic enhancement to food stamps nationwide earlier this year.Seattle-based Food Lifeline, which received a donation from Swift when she played in the city in late July, will likely use the funds to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as food popular in ethnic communities, said spokesperson Mark Coleman.