Give a Day’s Lunch Money, Help Feed the Hungry
Washington, DC (PRWEB) July 01, 2014 -- The Capital Area Food Bank will host its annual Skip Lunch, Solve Hunger online campaign throughout the month of July, in which individuals donate what they would normally spend on lunch to help expand its Family Markets, a monthly school-based food distribution program that feeds over 2,000 families. In a generous move, Shoppers Food and Pharmacy will serve as the campaign’s first corporate sponsor and will match individual donations up to $10,000.
“Family Markets help connect families to schools and families to nutritious food,” said Nancy E. Roman, CAFB President and CEO. “We are grateful to Shoppers for helping us raise awareness and stepping up to the challenge of expanding our Family Markets, which will fill in the hunger safety net by providing fresh and shelf stable food items for school-aged children,” she said.
The Capital Area Food Bank’s Family Markets Program helps to alleviate child hunger through the provision of food to children and their families. Located directly on school grounds, the pantry provides a more readily accessible source of food assistance to low-income students and their families. The site consistently operates in the same location, has set distribution schedules and offers ongoing food assistance services.
“Hunger for anyone is a major problem, and it’s especially heartbreaking when it impacts children,” said Bob Gleeson, president of SHOPPERS. “At SHOPPERS, we’re committed to fighting hunger in our local communities and this partnership will help us do exactly that. We’re honored to sponsor this campaign and thank the Capital Area Food Bank for all they do to help those in need.”
In the Washington metro region, child hunger is a critical problem. According to a recent Feeding America study, Washington, DC ranks second in the nation for child hunger, slightly behind New Mexico. The community can help the CAFB cover the cost needed to run a single Family Market by donating to Skip Lunch, Solve Hunger.
The Capital Area Food Bank 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. This year, the Capital Area Food Bank distributed 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, CAFB 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. To learn more, visit: http://capitalareafoodbank.org, or find the Capital Area Food Bank on Facebook at facebook.com/ CapitalAreaFoodBank, and Twitter at @foodbankmetrodc.
SHOPPERS® Food & Pharmacy, part of the SUPERVALU family of grocery stores, offers consumers in Baltimore, northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., a full-service supermarket with the finest quality and largest variety of fresh produce, USDA Choice beef, family pack meats, fresh seafood and steamed shrimp, as well as hot foods, salad bars and full-service pharmacies. With 56 stores in its banner, SHOPPERS targets the price-conscious consumers offering over 30,000 everyday low prices and a commitment to save up to 15 percent or more every day with no card needed. For more information, please visit http://shoppersfood.com.
Shamia Holloway, Capital Area Food Bank, http://www.capitalareafoodbank.org, +1 (202) 644-9830, [email protected]
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