Shoppers at Adams Hometown Market, Better Valu and Tri Town Foods stores in Connecticut gave generously to The Great American Milk Drive, raising more than $12,000 for milk vouchers to help people served by the Connecticut Food Bank network of food assistance programs.
By donating $1, $3 or $5, or rounding up their change at the register, shoppers raised $12,232 for milk vouchers. Connecticut Food Bank spokesperson Paul Shipman said it was the most successful Milk Drive yet for the food bank. Shoppers at the 12 participating stores have donated more than $25,000 since 2014.
Milk is one of the most requested items at food pantries, Shipman said, but it is difficult for people to obtain. “Many of our participating programs have limited refrigeration, so keeping a supply of milk is difficult, but it’s sought after by many people who need help with basic food needs.” Shipman said that many people who visit food pantries may only be able to access one gallon of milk per person in a year.
By providing vouchers for people visiting food banks, we can ease some of the transportation and refrigeration barriers and make milk a more regular part of people’s diets,” Shipman said.
The drive was part of a national program aimed at providing sought-after and highly nutritious gallons of milk to people in need. This local drive included the New England Dairy Promotion Board’s Must Be the Milk program, Guida’s Dairy, and the dairy farm families of Connecticut.
The milk drive was conducted at 12 Adams Hometown Market, Better Valu, and Tri Town Foods locations.
For more information on the Great American Milk Drive, visit mustbethemilk.com/milkdrive/
About Adams Hometown Market:
Adams Hometown Market is a Connecticut-owned and operated company, which is owned by Bozzutos Incorporated, and is dedicated to providing service and support to the local community. Learn more at AdamsSuperFood.com
About Guida’s Dairy:
With a history of continuous growth, Guida’s Dairy has become one of the leading milk processors in New England. Having a modern state of the art plant, Guida’s offers an extensive line of fluid milk, cream, ice cream mixes, fruit drinks, orange juice and a variety of other dairy products. In 2012, Guida Seibert Dairy became part of Dairy Farmers of America (DFA). After operating as a successful family owned business for 65 years, Guida’s Dairy is now operated as a thriving 100% farmer owned business. DFA, which is a large farmer owned co-op, has provided the resources to Guida’s Dairy to grow and expand into an even larger more successful regional dairy processor. Learn more at Guidas.com.
About Must Be The Milk:
What makes New England so special? Must Be The Milk! Must Be The Milk is an initiative of New England Dairy Promotion Board. The goals of the campaign are to educate New Englanders about dairy farming and encourage them to purchase local milk and dairy products. Learn more at MustBeTheMilk.com.
About the Connecticut Food Bank:
The Connecticut Food Bank is committed to alleviating hunger in Connecticut by providing food resources, raising awareness of the challenges of hunger and advocating for people who need help meeting basic needs. The Connecticut Food Bank partners with the food industry, food growers, donors and volunteers to provide food, which last year provided 19.2 million meals. We distribute that food through a network of community based programs to six Connecticut counties - Fairfield, Litchfield, Middlesex, New Haven, New London and Windham counties – where more than 300,000 people struggle with hunger. Visit us on the web at ctfoodbank.org, like us on Facebook and follow @CTFoodBank on Twitter and Instagram.