‘Turkey Trot’ on Nov. 24, ‘Tackle Hunger’ among programs this holiday season
From participating in an annual race in Ventura, to launching a program that will ultimately collect hundreds of thousands of pounds of donated food this holiday season, officials and supporters of FOOD Share say they are determined to keep pace with the growing demand in Ventura County.
“The need for food in Ventura County continues to grow,” Bonnie Weigel,CEO of FOOD Share, Ventura County’s Food Bank, said in a media release. “We are seeing so many hungry friends who have never before been in the position to need supplemental food. As a result, the demand for food has nearly doubled over the past three years and we now serve over 74,500 people each month.”
The good news is that, to date, FOOD Share has been able to keep pace with increased demand, Weigle said. The bad news is that the numbers of hungry children, families and seniors continues to climb.
FOOD Share will kick off its holiday programs by being a beneficiary of the 4th annual Ventura Turkey Trot presented by The Ventura Auto Center in Ventura.
Beginning with registration and check-in at 8 a.m. Thursday, Nov. 24, the Turkey Trot features 1K and 5K races around the Ventura Auto Center. The 5K race will begin at 8 a.m., followed by the free Ventura Family YMCA Kids 1K race at 9, a raffle at 9:15 and the awards ceremony at 9:30 a.m.
Organizers are asking participants to support FOOD Share by bringing a canned or boxed food item to help someone in need. The cost is $35 to enter the 5K race on race day, free for the 1K race, with check-in at the Ventura Auto Center, 6451 Auto Center Drive, Ventura.
Visit http://venturaturkeytrot.com/ for more information.
FOOD Share has also launched its annual “Tackle Hunger” campaign with the goal of collecting more than $150,000 in monetary donations and more than 200,000 pounds of donated food to help restock the shelves of their Oxnard warehouse distribution center. “Tackle Hunger” continues through Jan. 10, 2012, the organization reported in a media release.
More than 20 of Ventura County’s top business and political leaders met with FOOD Share staff on Nov. 16 to strategize about creative ways to build support for “Tackle Hunger,” the regional food bank’s largest and most important annual food drive.
Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, reports that 51,000 children in Ventura County are food insecure, meaning they do not know when they will have their next meal. As a result, FOOD Share is hoping that the community embraces “Tackle Hunger” and adds the gift of feeding others to the top of their holiday shopping lists.
Over the next two months, FOOD Share’s All Star Tackle Hunger committee, comprised of some of its core stakeholders and corporate community leaders, will take the “Tackle Hunger” message to the streets in an effort to build awareness about hunger and garner additional community support for the campaign. The goal is to encourage neighborhoods, businesses, youth groups and individuals to collect cash and food donations and find new and creative ways to meet the need.
“Tackle Hunger” donations can be made by going to www.foodshare.com and clicking on the Tackle Hunger icon. Call 805.983.7100 for more information.