In Greenwich teens teamed up to collect fresh produce for Greenwich families through an online platform during the 2016 football season.
The Greenwich Jr United Way, Greenwich Youth Football League (GYFL) and Cheerleading (GYCL) teamed up to run a “virtual collection” of healthy food options and fresh produce for Neighbor to Neighbor this football season.
The food drive allowed fans to support their local team and make a food donation online through the Amp Your Good (AMP) website (ampyourgood.com).
The GYFL season ended with a series of award dinners in late November that concluded the drive with teams reaching the following amounts of pounds donated:
Cos Cob Crushers (721 lbs)
Riverside Gators (714 lbs)
Putnam Generals (469 lbs),
Glenville Mavericks (459 lbs)
North Mianus Bulldogs (110 lbs)
BANC Raiders (38 lbs)
“This has been a fantastic joint venture by the Greenwich Jr United Way and Greenwich Football and Cheerleading organizations,” said said Duncan Lawson, Operations Coordinator at Neighbor to Neighbor.
“This food drive has Neighbor to Neighbor covered for approximately two months worth of fresh produce, which is unbelievable,” Lawson added.
AMP was founded based upon the idea of using technology to make helping out easier and efficient.
The website was created to amplify the good in everyone by enabling their good intentions to have the greatest impact.
“We talk a lot about how we are more than a team, we are family”, said Pat Bria, President of the Cos Cob Crushers organization. He continued, “The Greenwich Youth Football League Fan Food Drive presented by Greenwich Jr United Way was an obvious way for us to unite as a team, to help local families who are in need. We are thrilled and proud to have been the lead blockers for a generous cause.” Bria will be presented with a plaque in honor of the team’s off-field win by Greenwich Jr United Way later this month.
The Greenwich Jr United Way hopes to turn the food drive collaboration into an annual event to benefit Neighbor to Neighbor said Emily Zerbst, Jr United Way Program Coordinator at Greenwich United Way. She explained in a letter to all who participated at GYFL and GYCL, “Our teens at the Greenwich Jr United Way would like to make sure that this ‘Greenwich Youth Football League Fan Food Drive presented by Greenwich Jr United Way’ continues for years to come, or as long as there is a need to feed hungry families in our community.”
The Greenwich Jr United Way was created by teens to enable teens to get involved in solving problems in their local community. Led by and for young people under the guidance of adults, teens choose focus areas, develop their own ideas and make a measurable difference. All middle school and high school students in the Town of Greenwich are eligible to volunteer.
Junior United Way 2015/16 Club Members are Olivia Jones (President), Jayla Faison, Bethany Johnson, Nick Glass, Jackson Magann, Maya Hurst and Naureen Kurji .
The Greenwich United Way shares a name with approximately 1,400 other similar organizations across the nation, although the Greenwich, Connecticut division is a privately incorporated, locally governed, nonprofit agency. As a volunteer driven organization, the Greenwich United Way exists to help identify and address the human service needs specific to its local community and to create and affect meaningful solutions. Through various fundraising efforts, the organization is able to directly allocate the funds necessary to accomplish this goal. The Greenwich United Way also invests in and conducts collaborative efforts to address broad based community needs with partnering nonprofit agencies.
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