Kansas City, MO – That gallon of milk you consider a staple in your refrigerator is missing in Kansas City’s food pantries.
According to Feeding America®, the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization, milk is one of the items most requested by food pantry clients, yet there is a nationwide shortage because it is rarely donated. Feeding America clients receive the equivalent of less than one gallon of milk per person per year. The Great American Milk Drive, the first-ever national program to help deliver highly desired and nutrient-rich gallons of milk to hungry families who need it most, has helped change this.
Hunger impacts 1 in 6 Americans, including 12.5 million families who do not have access to adequate nourishment to help them reach their full potential. Hunger has no boundaries and is a problem that exists in urban, suburban and rural communities.
It’s been a challenge for Feeding America to meet the demand for milk due to the lack of donations – canned goods and other non-perishable items are more likely to be donated. Now, it’s going to be easier for Kansas City residents to lend a hand and contribute nutritious milk to food insecure families with on-site milk drives.
The first on-site milk drive will take place on June 14, 2014 at the Price Chopper located at 500 NE Barry Road in Kansas City, MO. The second event will take place on June 21, 2014 at the Hen House located at 6900 W 135th St. in Overland Park, KS. Each milk drive will run from 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM. Shoppers can make an instant difference by purchasing an extra gallon of Hiland Dairy milk to donate. Hiland Dairy will match the shopper’s donation and the donated milk will be loaded into a refrigerated Hiland Dairy truck to be taken directly to Harvesters at the conclusion of the drive. Harvesters will distribute the milk to its network of local food pantries, kitchens and shelters, which serve the hungry in our community.
“In our community more people than ever are at risk of missing a meal because they don’t have enough food,” said Harvesters’ President and CEO Valerie Nicholson-Watson. “Many of the 66,000 people Harvesters’ network feeds each week are children, who need healthy foods—and especially milk—to grow strong. Harvesters is grateful to be included in this initiative to put more milk on the tables of hungry families.”
For those who cannot make it to these on-site events, there are still other ways to get involved. With the simple click of a mouse (www.milklife.com/give) or text message (text “Milk” to 27722), anyone can buy much-needed milk and donate it for as little as $5.00 to a family who does not have regular access to milk. By entering your zip code, you can ensure that the milk is delivered from the farm to a local Feeding America food bank in your very own community.
By visiting www.MilkLife.com/give, you can learn more about the need for more nutritious foods like milk in America’s food banks and how a small donation can make a significant impact.
About Hiland Dairy Foods Company
Hiland Dairy Foods Company is a processor and distributor of dairy foods and other beverages. Founded in 1937, the company is based in Springfield, Missouri and operates processing facilities in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma. In addition, Hiland Dairy Foods has distribution in 11 states throughout the Midwest. For more information visit HilandDairy.com
About Feeding America
Feeding America is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 37 million people through 61,000 food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit http://www.feedingamerica.org/. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.
Source: Hiland Dairy Foods Company