Capital Area Food Bank Launches Annual "Food From The Bar" Campaign in Partnership with Local Law Firms
Washington, DC (PRWEB) April 09, 2014 -- The Capital Area Food Bank (CAFB) today announced the launch of "Food From the Bar", the Washington legal community’s annual fundraising campaign, with the ambitious goal of raising $200,000 to help the food bank reach those at risk of hunger in the Washington metro area.
This year’s "Food From the Bar" campaign – from April 28 to May 30 – marks the sixth and largest effort to date, with dozens of local law firms, law schools and other legal professionals competing to raise funds and food for the campaign, formerly known as D.C. Outlaw Hunger. Specific campaign partners include "Legal Times", the Women’s Bar Association of the District of Columbia, K&L Gates, and DLA Piper.
Since 2008, the Washington legal community has raised enough to support the equivalent of 1 million meals. With every $10 raised, the food bank can distribute 25 meals to neighbors in need.
Ninety-two cents out of every dollar donated to the CAFB supports hunger relief programs.
Nancy E. Roman, CAFB President and CEO, said “We are grateful to the local legal community for this important undertaking. As school ends, hunger begins for many D.C. youngsters who depend on free and reduced-cost school lunch programs. 'Food From the Bar' will enable the food bank to expand summer programs to fill the gap for children and their families.” She added, “California’s legal community has made 'Food From the Bar' the biggest in the nation, but since Washington, D.C. is home to the most lawyers per capita in the country, we want to see the local legal community pull ahead of them over time.”
Child hunger is a critical problem nationwide. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, nearly 17 million children in the United States live in households where they are unable to consistently access the nutritious food necessary for a healthy life. Washington, D.C. has the second highest child food insecurity rate of any other state in the nation, with 30 percent of children under the age of 18 living in food insecure households – meaning they have limited or uncertain access to nutritionally adequate foods.
“The 'Food From the Bar' campaign embodies how working together as a legal community can yield the opportunity to feed thousands of our friends and neighbors when they are most in need,” said Dick Thornburg, Former U.S. Attorney General and Governor of Pennsylvania, and Honorary Chairman of the 2014 D.C. "Food From the Bar" campaign. “Last year, we successfully raised over $100,000, and with the addition of new partners in 2014, we have stepped up our goal to raise more than $200,000 during the campaign to provide more than 500,000 good, nutrient-rich meals.”
“The appeal of 'Food From the Bar' is not just that we are helping the neighbors in our community but it’s fun and rewarding for all firms involved,” said Mark Ruge, partner at K&L Gates and co-chair of the 2014 D.C. "Food From the Bar" campaign. “To get our team ready, our firm will kick off the competition by hosting a stand up comedy night and competitive interoffice challenges all-month long to benefit the Capital Area Food Bank. Our event is just one of many events of this kind that will help energize teams to compete to raise the most money, and in turn help feed the most people, for this year’s campaign.”
The CAFB is the largest hunger relief organization in the Washington metro area serving 500,000 people through direct food distribution programs and a network of 500 partner agencies. Annually, the CAFB distributes 45 million pounds of food – the equivalent of 37.5 million meals – including 17.5 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables. A member of Feeding America, the food bank takes a comprehensive approach to addressing hunger by increasing access to nutritious food, initiating change through skill-building and advocacy, and creating sustainability with outreach and training for those at risk of hunger.
Organizations interested in joining the campaign should contact Ella Daniels by April 21 at edaniels(at)capitalareafoodbank(dot)org.
To learn more, visit: http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org, or find the Capital Area Food Bank on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Capital Area Food Bank
The Capital Area Food Bank opened its doors on January 15, 1980, on the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The CAFB is the hub for food sourcing, food distribution and nutrition education in the Washington metro area serving those struggling with hunger. Through direct service and a network of 500 nonprofit partners, the CAFB distributes 45 million pounds of food annually, half of which is fresh produce.
A member of Feeding America, the national network of food banks, the Capital Area Food Bank serves Washington, D.C.; Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland; Arlington, Fairfax and Prince Williams counties and the City of Alexandria in Virginia. As an independent 501 (c) (3) organization, the Capital Area Food Bank was profiled in Washingtonian magazine as one of the 20 Best Charities in the region.
Ella Daniels, Capital Area Food Bank, http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org, +1 (202) 644-9879, [email protected]
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