Local Food Banks Working to Close the Hunger Gap with New Grants

ATLANTA, Sept. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Dairy Alliance is honoring Hunger Action Month by helping families in Tennessee and Georgia have greater access to nutrient-rich milk thanks to $60,000 in grants from The Dairy Alliance to Middle Georgia Community Food Bank in Macon, GA and Mid-South Food Bank in Memphis, TN.

Milk is one of the most requested, yet least available items in a food bank. Storage of milk is often an obstacle for food banks, preventing their ability to provide milk to the families they serve.  Middle Georgia Community Food Bank and Mid-South Food Bank used the grant money to purchase refrigerators, increasing agencies' capacity to store and provide milk for their clients across middle Georgia, Northern Mississippi and Western Tennessee. 

"Hungry families, particularly those with young children, often lack calcium-rich milk in their diet. Being able to purchase and store milk will help us establish a consistent, sustainable flow of milk to those in need," Cathy Pope, President and CEO of Mid-South Food Bank said. "This allows many families to have access to a nutrient-rich beverage on a regular basis."

According to Feeding America's 'Map the Meal Gap' report, over 1.3 million Georgians and 950,000 Tennesseans, including one in six children, experience food insecurity, which means they struggle to afford enough food at any point throughout the year. Food banks, and the pantries with which they partner, are vital resources for these families.

"On behalf of the dairy farm families of Georgia, Tennessee and the Southeast, The Dairy Alliance is proud to partner with Feeding America to help nourish families across our region," stated Geri Berdak, chief executive officer for The Dairy Alliance. "As a bonus, our hard-working dairy farm families will get a new market for their products. This is one small step that hopefully will lead to more initiatives to help our dairy farmers across the Southeast." 

The Milk2MyPlate Program was created by Northern Illinois Food Bank and Prairie Farms Dairy Inc. in 2012. This model has created opportunities for food banks, processors and dairy farmers across the country to replicate and better serve their communities. 

About The Dairy Alliance 

On behalf of dairy farm families, The Dairy Alliance, a non-profit, works with schools, health professionals, retailers, dairy processors and the public to promote dairy foods. For more information, visit thedairyalliance.com. 

About Middle Georgia Community Food Bank

The Middle Georgia Community Food Bank (MGCFB) mission is to provide the maximum amount of food possible to our participating food pantries at the lowest possible cost in order to reach the maximum number of hungry neighbors in need. MGCFB strives to reduce food insecurity, hunger, and the associated negative health impacts by serving as an umbrella agency to the over 180 agencies who obtain food from us for their programs. MGCFB serves 24 counties in middle Georgia. The combined population in the MGCFB service area is 670,613, and the 24 counties cover an 8,341 square mile area. For more information, visit mgcfb.org or call 476-742-3958. 

About Mid-South Food Bank

Mid-South Food Bank was founded in 1981. Based in Memphis, TN, Mid-South services 30 counties in the southeast region, with 17.8% of the population being food insecure, including 110,000 children. A 501(c)(3) charitable organization, we are a member of Feeding America, the national network of food banks.  We are a founding member of  the Safety Net Collaborative.  Our mission is to change lives by eliminating hunger in the Mid-South. For more information, visit midsouthfoodbank.org or call 901-527-0841.

Contact:
Rebecca Egsieker
770-842-2046
[email protected]

SOURCE The Dairy Alliance

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