To capitalize on a millionaire’s dream of eliminating hunger through grassroots involvement, the Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry invited local schools to team up for the “4th Annual Students Against Hunger in the SCV — Spring Food Drive 2008.” The winning school will receive an award certificate from the SCV Food Pantry.
“We ask schools to help us with two food drives each year. By scheduling their spring food drive between March 1 and April 30, local schools can leverage their giving with the ‘Feinstein $1 Million Giveaway to Fight Hunger,’ ” explains Executive Director Belinda Crawford. “It’s a win-win situation because our clients benefit immediately from the food and cash donations made during the two-month ‘Students Against Hunger’ drive. Then our portion of this year’s 11th Annual Feinstein Giveaway provides additional financial support later in the year when our supplies are at their lowest levels.”
The Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry has distributed supplemental food to our neighbors in need for 22 years and was established in 1986 by a small group of community volunteers. The SCV Food Pantry uses food donations from the community to provide supplemental food on a short-term basis, free of charge, to SCV residents.
The Food Pantry currently has over 3600 clients, half of whom are children In addition, the Pantry serves more than 500 local senior citizens each month through the Senior Outreach mobile-distribution program. Over 90 volunteers work with Crawford to solicit donations, sort food and prepare bags for distribution.
Crawford also emphasized that individual community members can help with the Feinstein challenge. “All food and cash donations to the SCV Food Pantry during March and April as a result of the Feinstein Giveaway will count toward our proportional grant. If you don’t have a child in school, you can still participate by making a donation. Your donation will help with the commitment that “No child in the Santa Clarita Valley should go to bed hungry.”
The Giveaway divides one million dollars proportionately, up to a maximum of $50,000 per organization, among all agencies that participate in the program. The SCV Food Pantry tracks the donations generated by the Feinstein Challenge. Please write Feinstein Challenge on the memo line of your check to be sure it gets counted toward this grant. Based on the total received, the Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry will receive a proportional share of the one million.
Alan Feinstein has been sponsoring the $1 Million Challenge for nine years and has helped raise over $350 million for agencies to fight hunger all over the United States. He wanted to encourage citizens in each community to become partners in a successful grassroots campaign to fight hunger. For information about Mr. Feinstein, please go to his web site at www.feinsteinfoundation.org .
For information about food donations or volunteering opportunities at the Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry, please call Belinda Crawford at 661-255-9078.