Rotary Club Campaign to Fight Summer Hunger Is Underway
Ann Arbor — The Rotary Clubs of Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti are once again partnering with Food Gatherers—Washtenaw County’s food bank and food rescue program—to fight summer food insecurity. The Rotary Fights Summer Hunger Fund and Food Drive, which starts March 9 and ends March 20, involves more than 80 local businesses and organizations that are collecting funds and non-perishable food items from community members. The Club’s goal is to collect enough funds and food to provide 90,000 meals to hungry children in Washtenaw County.
The Rotary Club encourages people to double their impact and take advantage of a matching opportunity provided by the Harold and Kay Peplau Family Fund. Any donation of $25 or greater will be matched dollar-for-dollar, meaning that a gift of $25 will provide 150 meals to hungry individuals and families in Washtenaw County.
Efforts like Rotary Fights Summer Hunger are vital during the spring, as the local hunger relief network prepares to fight summer food insecurity. Many low-income families rely on free and reduced-price school meals for their children, but they lose access to those resources when school ends. Rotary Fights Summer Hunger helps ensure that these children will have the nourishment they need to stay healthy and strong over the summer so that they are ready to learn when school starts.
Food Gatherers will use 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. In coordination with its partners, Food Gatherers sponsors more than 35 Summer Food Service Program sites that provide meals to food insecure children throughout the summer break.
What to Contribute: Funds and Food Community members may donate financial gifts and non-perishable food items during the campaign.
Funds
1. Make gifts of cash and checks (payable to Food Gatherers) at participating businesses.
2. Donate online at foodgatherers.org/rotary
3. Donate at Food Gatherers Warehouse, 1 Carrot Way, Ann Arbor, MI, 48105. The Warehouse is open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., Monday – Friday.
Food
• Bring food donations to the collection boxes at participating businesses.
• Please consider donating the following most-needed items: low/no-sodium, high-protein products such as beans (canned or dried), canned meats (tuna, chicken, etc.), and peanut butter; low/no-sodium hearty soups (beef stew, chili, etc.); canned fruit; baby food and formula; Ensure or other supplemental nutrition drinks.
Donation Collection Sites
Find a complete list of businesses accepting food donations for the Rotary Fight Summer Hunger Food and Fund Drive on Food Gatherers here: http://www.foodgatherers.org/rotary
About Food Gatherers
Food Gatherers’ mission is to alleviate hunger and eliminate its root causes in Washtenaw County. As the food bank and food rescue program for the county, we distribute 6.6 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
