Feeding America wins Public Affairs Council's Grassroots Innovation Award for Hunger Action Month Advocacy Campaign

Month-long advocacy program recruits nearly 5,600 new hunger advocates

CHICAGO, Jan. 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger-relief organization, today announced that they were awarded the Public Affairs Council's annual Grassroots Innovation Award for a month-long advocacy campaign to activate current and develop new hunger advocates around Hunger Action Month (HAM). Since 2000, the awards have recognized the nation's best grassroots programs and campaigns.

Feeding America received the award on Friday, January 22, during an awards ceremony at the Public Affairs Council's National Grassroots Conference where they had the opportunity to present their Hunger Action Month advocacy campaign to grassroots professionals from across the country.

The Hunger Action Month advocacy campaign, executed in partnership with DDC Advocacy, utilized a single portal for activity to serve as the hub in a nationwide contest among Feeding America's 205 member food banks in which food bank supporters would take the most actions to fight hunger to earn the most "minutes" during a one-month period. The food bank with the most "minutes" received a truckload of food from Kraft Foods.

The grassroots competition encouraged activists to take specific action while also helping to recruit thousands of new advocates.

"This award is a great honor for us and shows how valuable grassroots advocacy can be in helping us advance our hunger-relief efforts," said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO of Feeding America. "The program proved to be one of our most concentrated advocacy efforts to date -- recruiting a total of nearly 5,600 new hunger advocates."

Past innovators have been large and small organizations representing a wide variety of industries, including Best Buy, Entertainment Software Association, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Grassroots Enterprise, Westfield Group, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Adfero Group, Cartoon Network, ClearWay Minnesota, National Association of Realtors, The Regence Group, Natural Products Association and Consumers Union.

"Through the Grassroots Innovation Awards, the Public Affairs Council seeks to recognize organizations whose creativity and dedication positively impact the practice of grassroots," said Rikki Amos, associate director, political involvement programs, Public Affairs Council. "Feeding America's 2009 food bank competition shows others in the field a new way to motivate and build a community of advocates not just for one day but for many days and years to come."

About Feeding America

Feeding America provides low-income individuals and families with the fuel to survive and even thrive. As the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, our network members supply food to more than 25 million Americans each year, including 9 million children and 3 million seniors. Serving the entire United States, more than 200 member food banks support 63,000 agencies that address hunger in all of its forms. For more information on how you can fight hunger in your community and across the country, visit http://www.feedingamerica.org. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow our news on Twitter at twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

About DDC Advocacy

DDC Advocacy (www.ddcadvocacy.com) is a full-service advocacy firm that helps clients engage and empower their supporters to take action on issues through tailored strategies, targeted communications, and innovative technologies. Founded in 1996, the firm employs more than 150 people and serves a client base of more than 300 organizations.

SOURCE Feeding America