The Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board has launched its second Freedom from Hunger Spring Food Drive — an annual initiative to support Montgomery County food pantry and soup kitchen efforts to replenish their stock as the summer months approach.
The spring event — once again being held exclusively online — will run through April and aims to build on the success of the tourism board’s annual fall food drive.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of both the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board’s fall Freedom from Hunger Drive and the MontCo Anti-Hunger Network (MAHN) — a coalition of hunger relief organizations working together to “keep families stable with food assistance.”
The goal for both of 2024’s food drives is $10,000 — to mark the anniversary milestone. The tourism board is looking to raise $2,500 during the spring drive — the equivalent of 30,000 pounds of food, according to a press release.
As it has in past years’ efforts, the tourism board is again partnering with the MontCo Anti-Hunger Network — which provides resources to almost 70 free meal providers that feed those who are food insecure in the county.
In Montgomery County, food pantries surveyed by the MontCo Anti-Hunger Network between 2022 and 2023, saw a 60.7% increase in the number of individuals served on average at each pantry, according to the release.
Food insecurity is “skyrocketing,” according to Shannon Isaacs, executive director of the MontCo Anti-Hunger Network, who said close to 20% of households with children are food insecure in the United States.
“This is about more than just food, it is about health and education. Nutrition is critical to functioning. When kids are hungry, they can’t learn at school. We’re concerned about people’s health and the well-being of our neighbors. We need to act on this crisis,” Isaacs said in a statement.
The Freedom from Hunger Food Drive makes, Isaacs added, makes a “tremendous difference, supporting the food safety net across the county.”
According to the most recent federal food insecurity data from the USDA, 1.8 million more homes became severely food insecure across the country in 2022, compared with the previous year.
“We are seeing a tremendous uptick in visitation of food pantries and demand for emergency food in both the county and nationally,” Isaacs added.
During the spring, donations to the food safety net system are traditionally been low, the tourism board said.
“As leaders, we can’t keep letting this happen,” Mike Bowman, Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board president and CEO, said in a statement. “We need local businesses, and individuals, to step up to fight hunger with us.”
The Freedom from Hunger Food Drive was launched in 2015 as a farewell pledge to Pope Francis, who stayed in Montgomery County at the St. Charles Borromeo Seminary during the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia. The event has grown each year and has so far collected more than 270,000 pounds of food to feed the hungry across Montgomery County.
In 2023, the tourism board’s first spring Freedom from Hunger Food Drive raised the monetary equivalent of 32,000 pounds of food. Last year’s fall initiative raised the monetary equivalent of 45,000 pounds of food — surpassing its original goal of 40,000 pounds of food. To date, the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board has collected more than 270,000 pounds of food to feed the hungry in Montgomery County.
According to Nokidhunger.org, for every dollar donated, seven meals — or 12 pounds of food — can be provided by using money to buy food in bulk to give to families in need. Monetary donations provide the greatest flexibility in combating hunger because the MontCo Anti-Hunger Network can purchase food wholesale, “saving the network anywhere from $1-3 a pound, while immediately responding to critical needs,” the release stated.
Since its founding in 2014, the organization now known as the MontCo Anti-Hunger Network has contributed to county food safety net resilience by establishing and building a network of food pantries and free meal providers and developing a countywide Food Resource Program.
To make a donation to the Freedom from Hunger spring campaign visit www.valleyforge.org/hunger.
Montgomery County residents who need assistance can view the list of the MontCo Anti-Hunger Network’s food pantries and soup kitchens by visiting: https://www.montcoantihunger.org/do-you-need-food.html.
