TRACY, Calif. — Milk is one of the most-requested staples at food banks, but among the least donated. On average, people served by food banks receive the equivalent of less than 1 gallon per person per year. To help fill this gap and support families in need in areas affected by hurricanes Harvey and Irma, California dairy farm families today launched the Seals for Good social media challenge, which will provide up to 4,000 gallons of milk to families and children struggling with hunger.
"It is important to California's dairy farm families to help ensure access for all to nutritious milk and dairy foods. The need is especially acute with so many families affected by the recent hurricanes," said John Talbot, CEO of California Milk Advisory Board and Real California Milk. "Products like cheese, butter, yogurt, cottage cheese and ice cream with the Real California Milk seal are available throughout the U.S., which makes the Seals for Good campaign an easy way for people to support the people in need with just a simple social media post."
Social Media Challenge: Post a photo of a dairy product (cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, butter, ice cream) showing the Real California Milk seal on Facebook or Instagram using the hashtag #SealsForGood. Dairy products with the seal are available in supermarkets and specialty stores across the U.S. and online. No purchase necessary. http://ooh.li/271ee32
Timing: Kicks off September 25, 2017 and runs through December 31, 2017
Donation: For each qualifying post, $5 – representing a gallon of milk – will be donated to the Great American Milk Drive (up to $20,000 total) through Feeding America to provide vouchers for fresh milk to families in need in Florida and Texas.
"Providing fresh milk to people in need is always challenging, but it's especially difficult for food banks during times of crisis," said Nancy Curby, SVP of Corporate Partnerships & Operations at Feeding America. "Feeding America is grateful for the ongoing support of the dairy industry, and it's wonderful to see our partners step up to help people when they need it most. We know that giving our network the ability to distribute fresh milk will help relieve some stress for families in disaster-affected areas as they work to rebuild."
Each year, more than 46 million people, including 12 million children, are served by Feeding America, the nation's largest domestic hunger-relief organization. It has a nationwide network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs.
About the California Milk Advisory Board
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state's more than 1,300 dairy families. With headquarters in Tracy, the CMAB is one of the largest agricultural marketing boards in the United States. The CMAB executes advertising, public relations, research and retail and foodservice promotional programs on behalf of California dairy products, including Real California Milk and Real California Cheese. For more information and to connect with the CMAB through social media, For more information and to connect with the CMAB through social media, visit RealCaliforniaMilk.com, like on Facebook, watch videos on YouTube, follow on Twitter and Instagram, and pin on Pinterest.
Source: California Milk Advisory Board
