Hunger Free Summer Campaign to Raise 2 Million Meals for Hungry Children

Gleaners Community Food Bank Partners with Citizens Bank to DOUBLE All Donations

www.HungerFreeSummer.org

(June 15, 2016 – Detroit, MI) … Today, Wednesday, June 15, 2016, Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan (Gleaners) launches their 2016 Hunger Free Summer (HFS) campaign with a kickoff event from 8:30am – 10:30am at the Gleaners Detroit Distribution Center (2131 Beaufait Street, Detroit, MI 48207 – Map). Citizens Bank, Ford Motor Company Fund and other generous donors will match all donations, dollar-for-dollar, during the campaign (thru September 5th). Every dollar will provide six nutritious meals for southeast Michigan’s hungry children.

A new addition to 2016’s Hunger Free Summer campaign is Fill the Fridge, a peer-to-peer, grassroots, fundraising initiative. The initiative was developed as a way to continue the HFS campaign’s growth and reach into the community while offering potential donors of any age and income level the opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of hungry children. Fill the Fridge donors are provided with the tools they’ll need (sample emails, social media posts, etc.) to reach out and form their own team of Hunger Heroes. Every $10 a team leader can raise from a friend, family member, co-worker or neighbor will fill a hungry child’s fridge with enough food for 60 full meals!

Every day nearly 300,000 southeast Michigan children rely on free or reduced-fee meals from school. When school closes for the summer these children are faced with food insecurity and often go without essential meals. Gleaners’ goal over the 12-week campaign is to distribute eight semi-truckloads of food to its school and community programs each week.

“Teachers tell us they worry about kids getting enough to eat over the summer,” said Gerry Brisson, president of Gleaners. “The meals we raise through Hunger Free Summer offer immediate and much-needed relief and stability to those families, so their children can return to school healthy and ready to learn. I’m grateful to Citizens and all of our match partners for making this possible.”

Hunger Free Summer Launch Line-Up:

8:30am – Coffee, refreshments and networking for CEO guests in the Gleaners gazebo.

9:00am – CEO Volunteer Packing in warehouse; guests invited to special HFS photo/video stations to record messages of thanks to donors and to encourage others to join the campaign.

9:45am – Students from Noble Elementary are joined by Citizens Bank staff and partner volunteers as they navigate the an educational (yet fun!) “Obstacles to Healthy Eating,” obstacle course the helps demonstrates the hurdles to food security and good nutrition.

10:00am – Gerry Brisson, Gleaners president will be joined by Rick Hampson, Citizens Bank Michigan President and Joanne Campbell, Dir. of Housing and Community Development, City of Westland for a short presentation about the importance of the 2016 HFS campaign

10:30am – Launch event concludes – Noble Elementary students tour the distribution center and finish Gleaners’ Kids Helping Kids programming. 

Hunger Free Summer – Matched donations can be made:

Online: www.HungerFreeSummer.org

Text: “HFS” to 85944 (A $10 donation will be added to the donor’s cell phone bill. Message & data rates may apply.)

Telephone: 866-GLEANER

Checks by mail: 2131 Beaufait, Detroit, MI 48207 (Please note “Hunger Free Summer” on memo line.)

Follow #HungerFreeSummer updates on Facebook.com/HungerFreeSummer & Twitter.com/Gleaners.

Media Only: For more information or to schedule an interview, please contact: C&B Scene: 248.336.8360 | scene@candbscene.com