Weis Markets, PA Dairymen’s Association, Feeding Pennsylvania and American Dairy Association North East celebrated World Milk Day and National Dairy Month with the kickoff of the Fill A Glass With Hope® campaign at the company’s Macungie, Pennsylvania, store.
At the event, Weis Markets donated 2,916 half-gallons of fresh milk to Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania. In addition, vendor partners Chobani, Kraft Heinz, Lactalis, Tropicana and Upfield together donated $45,000 to kick off the Fill A Glass With Hope campaign and help ensure that Pennsylvanians have access to fresh, nutritious milk.
Throughout the month of June, Weis Markets customers in Pennsylvania can round up their grocery payments at checkout to help fight hunger. Donations will be distributed to the following local food banks to purchase milk: Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Helping Harvest, Philabundance, Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania, and the Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank.
The kickoff event featured special appearances from former Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jason Avant; PA Deputy Secretary for Animal Health and Food Safety Lisa Graybeal; PA Dairy Royalty; local dairy farmer Doug Sattazahn of Zahncroft Farm; representatives from Chobani, Kraft Heinz, Lactalis, Tropicana and Upfield; and representatives from Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania.
“Weis Markets is committed to fighting hunger in the communities we serve year-round,” said Maria Rizzo, Vice President of Marketing and Advertising, Weis Markets. “With the support of our generous customers and vendor partners, we’re proud to support PA Dairymen’s Association, American Dairy Association North East and Feeding Pennsylvania in their efforts to ensure that Pennsylvanians have access to fresh milk.”
“We applaud our PA Dairy Princesses, Weis Markets and their numerous partners, and American Dairy Association North East for their ongoing dedication to reduce hunger throughout Pennsylvania through our successful Fill A Glass With Hope fresh milk campaign,” said Dave Smith, Executive Director, PA Dairymen’s Association. “We encourage Weis grocery shoppers to join us to help pour fresh milk across the state through Feeding PA food banks for families who are struggling by rounding up at checkout.”
“We’re proud to help facilitate this program on behalf of the state’s dairy farm families who work so hard to provide wholesome, nutritious milk for consumers, including families in need,” said John Chrisman, CEO, American Dairy Association North East. “This program is successful because of the strong support we receive from all of our partners and generous donors here in the commonwealth.”
“Feeding Pennsylvania is excited to once again partner with the PA Dairymen’s Association and American Dairy Association North East (ADANE) for our annual Fill a Glass with Hope campaign,” said Shea Saman, Interim Chief Financial Officer, Feeding Pennsylvania. “Each year, Fill A Glass with Hope helps to provide millions of servings of fresh milk to our neighbors and families in need across the state, while also supporting the hard-working farmers, transporters, and processors within Pennsylvania’s dairy industry. We appreciate the continued support of Weis Markets and all of the generous sponsors of the Fill a Glass with Hope program over the years.”
Milk is one of the most requested items at food banks but one of the least donated due to perishability. Without milk in the diet, it is difficult to get the recommended essential nutrients for health, especially for children. Milk is the top source of calcium, potassium, and Vitamin D in the American diet—nutrients critical to development and growth in children.
About Weis Markets
Founded in 1912, Weis Markets, Inc. is a Mid Atlantic food retailer operating 197 stores in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and West Virginia. For more information, please visit: WeisMarkets.com or Facebook.com/WeisMarkets
About Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association
The Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association is the oldest dairy group in Pennsylvania. The Dairymen’s Milkshake is the top-selling food item at the Food Court. The Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association has been supporting “Fill a Glass with Hope®” with agriculture partners, Feeding PA, American Dairy Association North East, corporate partners and food banks since 2015. Over recent years, the PA Dairymen have donated more than $1 million to
programs including The Calving Corner; agricultural and educational projects; initiatives and scholarships; the Fill A Glass with Hope® fresh milk campaign for neighbors in need; the Choose PA Dairy consumer education and awareness campaign; “Adopt a Cow” elementary school program; educational farm visits for career development; Future Farmers of America (FFA) youth projects; the PA Farm Bureau Mobile Ag Education Lab that travels to schools; and the PA Dairy Princess and Promotion Program. Their philanthropic efforts build a brighter future for all Pennsylvanians. For more information, visit www.padairymens.com.
About Fill A Glass With Hope®
Fill a Glass with Hope® is a partnership formed among Feeding Pennsylvania and member food banks, the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association, and American Dairy Association North East that raises funds to enable member food banks to purchase fresh milk directly from their local dairies in order to distribute it to families in need. First piloted by the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank in 2015, Fill a Glass with Hope® launched statewide at the 100th PA Farm Show on January 8th, 2016. Each member food bank became licensed as a charitable milk sub-dealer by the Pennsylvania Milk Marketing board, allowing them to purchase milk from dairies at a reduced price. That reduced price is further subsidized by donations and sponsorships. The program has distributed more than 34 million servings of fresh milk since inception through the charitable food network of pantries, soup kitchen, shelters, and feeding programs.
About American Dairy Association North East
The American Dairy Association North East (ADANE) is the local affiliate of the National Dairy Council® and the regional consolidation of three promotion organizations including the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council, Inc., Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association and Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program. Committed to nutrition education and research-based communications, ADANE provides science-based nutrition information to, and in collaboration with, a variety of stakeholders committed to fostering a healthier nation, including health professionals, educators, school nutrition directors, academia, industry, consumers and media. Funded by dairy checkoff dollars from more than 10,000 dairy farm families in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and northern Virginia, ADANE works closely with Dairy Management Inc.™ to bring a fully integrated promotion program to the North East region. For more information, visit AmericanDairy.com