{Disclaimer: We have partnered with The Great American Milk Drive to bring awareness to the need for milk in the Vermont Foodbank.}
Today is Giving Tuesday which kicks off the season of charitable giving during the holidays. We love nothing more than supporting Vermonters and giving locally so we are excited to tell you about The Great American Milk Drive to benefit The Vermont Foodbank.
Through programs and a network of 225 food shelves and meals sites, the Vermont Foodbank helps feed as many as 153,000 Vermonters each year.
In Vermont, 1 in 7 people face hunger.
Most families who rely on food banks receive only about one gallon of milk per person, per year even though milk is frequently requested by families facing hunger. While many canned and dry goods are donated to foodbanks, milk isn’t often considered because it is perishable.
Milk is naturally-nutrient-rich. It has 9 essential nutrients, including 8 grams of high-quality protein per serving and three of the top nutrients most likely to be missing in the American diet – calcium, vitamin D and potassium. Milk makes any meal more nutritious – for your family and families who are food insecure.
According the Great American Milk Drive website, More than 46.5 million Americans – including 1 in every 6 children – rely on Feeding America food banks each year.
As I read those statistics and thought about the need for milk in our towns’ food banks, I thought about how often we use milk in our home. Even with some lactose intolerant family members, we use milk very frequently. We can often be found on a Friday night watching a movie, popping some popcorn, and mixing up some milkshakes. It’s a small thing we do for fun, and it’s not even that luxurious. Popcorn, milk, and ice cream are not expensive food items but when you are struggling to feed your family, those items are considered a luxury. Milk is not used for a treat for families in need, it is needed for everyday nutrition. It is pretty humbling to consider the need for milk in those terms.
The good news is that we can help! It is easy to donate fresh milk to our local food banks by visiting www.mustbethemilk.com/milkdrive. All donations go to your local food bank, so if you are using a Vermont credit card to make a contribution, your donation will go directly to the Vermont Foodbank.
Hungry children and families in our community are missing out on the essential nutrients supplied by milk because it’s not typically donated to food banks – even though it’s one of the most requested items.
