Transportation Consulting Firm Ahern & Associates Gearing Up for Biannual Fundraising Efforts in Support of St. Mary's Food Bank
Phoenix, AZ (PRWEB) November 20, 2014 -- Andy Ahern, Founder and CEO of Ahern & Associates, is announcing plans for the firm’s upcoming fundraising projects, one of which is in support of St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance. Ahern has earned the distinction of being named a Hunger Hero for his fundraising efforts for the food bank, with 2014 marking his 16th year as an avid supporter. Having already raised over $1 million for St. Mary’s, Ahern & Associates is anticipating its best turnout to date for the upcoming drive.
Under the Supplemental Poverty Measure, there are 49.7 million people in the United States living in poverty. In 2013, 26.4 million people - or 13.6% - of people ages 18-64 were in poverty, and 14.7 million (19.9%) were children under the age of 18. 4.2 million seniors above the age of 65, or 9.5%, were in poverty.
“What does this mean? It means that many children won’t have a Thanksgiving meal or a Christmas meal,” says Andy Ahern. “Budgets are stretched thin; during the holiday season, it will tax families, not only financially but emotionally, to struggle to provide warm clothing for their children throughout the winter, not to mention a toy or two under the Christmas tree. A big holiday meal is often not a possibility for families such as these.”
St. Mary’s Food Bank is the first, largest, and oldest food bank in the world. For every $1 that is contributed, the food bank is able to purchase $7 worth of food; 90% of funds collected go to feed families with small children as well as to the elderly. St. Mary’s also supports the trucking industry and are the first responders for disasters throughout the country when catastrophes occur.
When Tropical Cyclone Isaac hit New Orleans and the Delta region in 2012, St. Mary’s sent more than 41,000 lbs. of emergency food, along with ready-to-eat meals for relief workers, baby formula, and 30 pallets of water and other bottled drinks via two truckloads to the area. In May of 2013, they sent emergency food boxes, bottled water, ready-to-eat snacks, instant oatmeal and personal hygiene items to the victims of the devastating tornadoes in Oklahoma. When Hurricane Sandy hit New York, St. Mary’s sent a truckload of emergency food, sports drinks, toiletry items and baby formula to the Food Bank of New York for distribution. Also included in the shipment were 30 pallets of water and protein shakes, as well as sports drinks, where it all was immediately put to use in disaster relief.
Whether families have been victims of a catastrophe, they have experienced a major illness in the family and are struggling financially because of it or they are caught in the struggle to just earn a better living, St. Mary’s Food Bank is there.
“When you review the statistics, they are staggering. More than 1 in 4 kids literally don’t know if they will have dinner tonight; and for a country like the United States, this is an embarrassment and these things should not happen,” Ahern states.
Andy Ahern is extending a call to action not only to those throughout the trucking industry, but to everyone to support St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance in the spirit of giving this holiday season.
For more information about St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance and to learn how to help, please visit http://www.firstfoodbank.org. For more information on Ahern & Associates, please call 602-242-1030 or visit http://www.ahern-ltd.com.
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About Ahern & Associates, Ltd.
Ahern and Associates is North America’s leading trucking and transportation management consulting firm. The skilled consultants at Ahern and Associates specialize in mergers and acquisitions of trucking and logistics companies as well as the restructuring and evaluation of existing carriers that seek to increase operating efficiency and improve profitability. Since 1987, Ahern and Associates has aided hundreds of buyers in the acquisition of trucking and logistics companies throughout the U.S. and Canada as well as assisting many transportation and logistics companies in reducing their overall operating costs and increasing their profitability.
For more information, please call 602-242-1030 or visit http://www.ahern-ltd.com.
Andy Ahern, Ahern & Associates, http://www.ahern-ltd.com/, +1 (602) 242-1030, [email protected]
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