Last week, Prairie Farms donated 11 thousand gallons of milk to 22 food banks across the Midwest. President and CEO of Gleaners Food Bank, Cindy Hubert, says that despite a 500-gallon donation to their location, the demand for dairy is on the rise.
“It’s well needed and it’s well appreciated, but it’s a small part of what we need.”
With one in five people dealing with food insecurity in the Hoosier state, Hubert says Gleaners is looking for more people to get involved.
“Get on board, help up by donating money. That would be perfect.”
Milk can and should be a bigger part of food banks, says Hubert. All too often, donors work on the presumption that milk is easy for the hungry to access.
“If we have the blessing that we are not in need, we just buy milk every week. It’s important to the end user and their family and I don’t think those folks that are out there contributing to the food banks understand how important it is for us to get it and to have the money to buy it.”
Through The Great American Milk Drive, Indianapolis residents can now donate much-needed milk with a simple click of a mouse (www.milklife.com/give) or text message (text “Milk” to 27722) and for as little as $5.00 it will go to a family who does not have regular access to it. By entering your zip code, you can ensure that the milk is delivered to a local Feeding America food bank here in Indianapolis.
Hunger impacts 1 in 6 Americans, including 16 million children who lack access to nutritionally adequate food — a need that’s even greater during the summer months when children are out of school. Hunger has no boundaries and is a problem that exists in urban, suburban and rural communities, including Indianapolis.
Many food banks across the country operate summer feeding programs, which play a critical role in helping children get the food and proper nutrition they need, including providing nutrient-rich foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables and much-needed milk. That is why Feeding America is encouraging people all across the country to support The Great American Milk Drive to help get nutrient-rich gallons of milk to children struggling with hunger this summer, and throughout the year. It’s National Dairy Month, an ideal time to join The Great American Milk Drive to help those in need in our community.
In addition to milk donations, Prairie Farms food bank partners will earn ten cents for every milk cap redeemed through its Our Caps, Your Cause effort.
Prairie Farms also announced the kick-off of its Get Real Give Back Campaign June 1. Throughout June, consumers can enter to win up to $1000 in cash and prizes. Consumers also can vote for the food bank in their area to receive 1,000 bonus caps every week for bring in the top 12.