YORK, PA – The Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association is proud to share a top regional award with the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank that brought more than 1 million servings of fresh milk to hungry Central Pennsylvanians. The Dairymen and the Food Bank launched the Fill a Glass with Hope® philanthropic effort during the 2015 Pennsylvania Farm Show along with Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association, the Center for Dairy Excellence, the Milk Marketing Board, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and marketing and media strategists LM Gnazzo Promotion Strategies and Nell McCormack Abom Communications. The Central Penn Business Journal today named Central Pennsylvania Food Bank the first-place winner in the Brand Identity/Unique Marketing Campaign category of its 2016 Nonprofit Innovation Awards at a ceremony in York.
The campaign integrated a major launch event, key corporate sponsorships, online and onsite donations, interactive social media engagement, testimonials, creation and promotion of a campaign-themed butter sculpture, major messaging-signage-and branding materials, comprehensive public service announcements, media appearances, website pop-up ads, newsletter and promotional mailings, celebrity support, and educational outreach. These elements collectively drove funding that inaugural year to more than $175,000. Every $1 donated supplies 8 servings of milk to neighbors in need. Currently, Pennsylvania dairy farmers produce milk for Harrisburg Dairies to be processed for the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. This public-private partnership allows milk to be offered to its clients at no cost.
“I am extremely proud of Joe Arthur and his team at the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and our other key partners and generous donors who are innovative in making #FillaGlasswithHope a successful fresh milk-distribution program in our commonwealth,” said Dave Smith, executive director of the PA Dairymen’s Association. “Working together with Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association, our dairy farmers, Food Bank team, the Ag Department, and Lucy and Nell, we provide nutritious milk to children, the elderly and families who otherwise would go without it.”
In January 2016, the PA Dairymen partnered with Feeding Pennsylvania to expand statewide the Fill a Glass with Hope® initiative with the goal of doubling the amount of milk supplied to 2 million servings. The partners launched the 2016 campaign with more than $150,000 raised in cooperation with Feeding Pennsylvania and its network of food banks across the state.
As Smith noted at this year’s statewide launch during the 100th Pennsylvania Farm Show, “There are more than 500,000 children at risk for hunger in Pennsylvania which equates to filling Penn State’s Beaver Stadium approximately five times. Clearly, the need for this program is tremendous and our dairy farmers are committed to help.”
According to the USDA, in 2012, more than 1.82 million individuals in Pennsylvania were at risk of hunger. This figure includes more than 562,000 children, or one of every five children in the Commonwealth. Feeding Pennsylvania’s network of statewide food banks provides food assistance to more than two million low-income men, women and children.
To donate, please visit www.feedingpa.org/milk.