CONTACT: Kris Tazelaar, Communications Manager, Second Harvest Foodbank, 608-216-7206, krist@shfbmadison.org
MADISON, WI (December 12, 2018) – Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin announced today that they received a $320,000 grant from CUNA Mutual Group Foundation to support its Mobile Pantry and Kids Cafe programs.
“Our Mobile Pantry and Kids Cafe programs are vital components of our effort to end hunger in the communities we serve,” said Dan Stein, president and CEO of Second Harvest. “The connection between long-term health and life outcomes, and having access to enough nutritious food is clear, and thanks to this generous gift by the CUNA Mutual Group Foundation we will be able to provide more healthy food and improve the lives of those facing hunger in our community. ”
Second Harvest’s 28 Mobile Pantry sites are designed to supplement the work of partner food pantries, shelters and meal sites operating in fixed locations throughout their 16-county service territory. CUNA Mutual Group Foundation investment will provide 2.9M pounds (2.4M meals) or 10 months’ worth of free groceries to allow clients to stretch their budgets. Mobile Pantries serve over 100,000 visitors annually, with 32% being children.
Since 1999, the Kids Cafe Program, in collaboration with seven Madison community centers, ends out-of-school hunger for Madison children. As providers of tutoring, after-school care, counseling, and other services, our Kids Cafe partners already have direct contact with children and established relationships with their families. Madison Kids Cafe sites include Boys and Girls Club of Dane County-Allied Drive; Boys and Girls Club of Dane County-Taft Street; East Madison Community Center; Goodman Community Center; Lussier Community Education Center; Salvation Army Darbo Drive Community Center, and; Vera Court Neighborhood Center. This gift will fund a portion of food and cook’s salary cost for all seven sites serving 1100 children facing hunger after school and during the summer.
“For many years, the Mobile Pantry and Kids Café programs have made a real difference in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom are children,” said Angela Russell, CUNA Mutual Group vice president of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “We’re honored to help fund these vital programs that will benefit those facing hunger in our area.”
About Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin
Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin helps end hunger in 16 southwestern Wisconsin counties through food distribution to its partner agencies, promotion of outside food assistance programs like FoodShare, and raising awareness of hunger. As southwestern Wisconsin’s largest hunger-relief charity it meets nearly one million requests for help each year. From July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018 Second Harvest, together with its partner agencies and programs, provided 14 million meals. It is one of 200 members of Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. For more information, visit SecondHarvestMadison.org.
About CUNA Mutual Group
CUNA Mutual Group is a financially strong insurance and investment company. For generations, we’ve partnered with credit union leaders to protect and grow their businesses, and help people plan, protect and invest for their future. CUNA Mutual Group offers commercial and personal insurance products; lending and payment security solutions; and retirement, investment and marketing services. Additional information about the company can be found at www.cunamutual.com.
