Ann Arbor —The 2019 Rotary Fights Summer Hunger campaign has raised 84,375 meals for Food Gatherers – Washtenaw County’s food rescue and food bank program. Led by the Rotary Club of Ann Arbor, and involving the Rotary Clubs of Ann Arbor North and Ypsilanti, the annual campaign involves more than 80 local businesses and organizations in collecting funds and non-perishable food items with the goal of fighting summer food insecurity.
“While we all think about food and giving during the holidays, food insecurity actually spikes during the summer months,” Eileen Spring, Food Gatherers CEO, said. “Rotary’s efforts are vital to keeping our network prepared to fight increased summer hunger, and we are grateful for Rotary’s annual commitment to fighting hunger in our community.”
Many families in Washtenaw County rely on free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch for their children during the school year. In the summer, they lose access to these meals while school is out, straining the family resources even further. The combination of food items collected, totaling 7,668 pounds of food, and funds raised, more than $26,000, helps Food Gatherers to ensure that these children will have the nourishment they need to stay healthy and strong over the summer.
“Rotary is proud to have partnered with Food Gatherers each spring for the past 15 years to stock up the warehouse in preparation for those critical summer months when children no longer have access to school lunches,” Rotary Club of Ann Arbor’s Todd Kephart said. “Thanks to the generosity of our community, we are thrilled to have exceeded our food drive’s goal by 41%.”
Food Gatherers will use the resources from the fund and food drive to supply its network of 170 partner programs, including food pantries, meal programs, and other emergency grocery services that help food insecure individuals and families throughout Washtenaw County.
About Food Gatherers
Food Gatherers’ mission is to alleviate hunger and eliminate its root causes in Washtenaw County. As the food rescue and food bank program for the county, we distribute 6.3 million pounds of food to 170 non-profit programs serving approximately 44,500 low-income adults, seniors and children every year. For a list of our partner programs, or to learn how you can become involved in the fight against hunger locally, please visit www.foodgatherers.org or call (734) 761-2796.
About Rotary
Rotary International is an organization of business and professional persons united worldwide, who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build goodwill and peace in the world. To learn more about The Rotary Club of Ann Arbor, visit the web at http://www.a2rotary.org
