Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity Announces National Partnership With Feeding America

Agreement provides new food collection tools and resources for 190 college chapters

INDIANAPOLIS, July 30, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On Saturday, July 27, 2013, Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity and Feeding America formally announced a new national partnership designed to improve the fraternity's food collection programs on 190 college campuses in the United States.  

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The announcement was made by Lambda Chi Alpha CEO Bill Farkas at the Fraternity's summer educational leadership seminar on the University of Memphis campus in Memphis, Tennessee. 

"This is another significant milestone for our 100-year old fraternity," Farkas said. "The importance of giving back to their local communities is one of the key experiences college men learn when they join Lambda Chi Alpha. I believe this partnership with Feeding America will provide our 10,000 undergraduate members with the resources and tools they need to dramatically increase our collection totals for local Feeding America food banks."

Through this partnership, Feeding America will provide Lambda Chi Alpha chapters with Volunteer Engagement Guidelines and Food Drive Best Practices. In addition, Feeding America will publicize the events held as well as the food totals collected by Lambda Chi Alpha's chapters through its national network of 202 food banks, on its blog and via Feeding America's social media outlets.

"We are delighted to be deepening our partnership with Lambda Chi Alpha," said Kelli Walker, manager, corporate partnerships at Feeding America. "Not only is this national fraternity's on-going commitment to hunger relief commendable, but we're honored by the chapters' commitment to improve their processes so that their collective volunteer impact can become even greater."

During the fall of 2012, prior to the new partnership, Lambda Chi Alpha chapters collected more than one million pounds of food (equivalent to approximately 833,333 meals). Since 1993, Lambda Chi Alpha has maintained a food drive that encouraged chapters to donate non-perishable food. These efforts have raised more than 40 million pounds of food for the needy.

In addition to expanding the number of participating chapters and total amount of food collected, Lambda Chi Alpha believes the partnership with Feeding America will help strengthen the local relationships between chapters and member food banks and increase collaborative opportunities.

Unfortunately, hunger exists everywhere in the United States—in every county and every community. Last year, Feeding America provided 2.82 billion meals to 37 million people in all 50 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Some of the most shocking statistics about hunger are:

• 1 in 6 Americans face hunger
• According to the USDA, nearly 17 million children are living in food-insecure households
• 36 percent of households served by Feeding America network include at least one adult who works
• Approximately 23 percent of the adult client interviewed in Hunger in America 2010 have attended college or a technical school
• Approximately 3 million rural households experience food insecurity
• According to the USDA, limited resources prevent more than 50 million Americans from getting enough food

About Feeding America
Feeding America is a nationwide network of more than 200 food banks that leads the fight against hunger in the United States. Together, we provide food to more than 37 million people through 61,000 food pantries, soup kitchens, and shelters in communities across America. Feeding America also supports programs that improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate. Volunteer. Advocate. Educate.  Together we can solve hunger. Visit http://www.feedingamerica.org/. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FeedingAmerica or follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FeedingAmerica.

About Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Headquartered in Indianapolis, Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity is one of the largest men's general fraternities in North America with more than 275,000 initiated members and has held chapters at more than 300 universities. In the early 1970s, it was the first fraternity to eliminate pledging and remains a leader in the fight against hazing, alcohol abuse, and other challenges facing today's college student. Lambda Chi Alpha serves to complement higher education by providing opportunities for academic achievement, leadership development, and lifelong friendships. To learn more about Lambda Chi Alpha and its traditions, principles, and ideals, please visit www.lambdachi.org. Find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/LambdaChi or follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/LambdaChiAlpha.

CONTACT: Thomas Lichtenauer, 1-317-803-7322, [email protected]

SOURCE Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.