NCPCares Helps Food Pantries for 2020 Charity Initiative

(Syosset, NY, November 19, 2020) – National Consumer Panel  is pleased to announce donations to five food pantries/banks.   These groups will each receive $2,000 as part of the NCP Cares 2020 charitable efforts.

 

The charities were selected based on results of a nationwide survey of NCP’s panel members.

 

2020 has been a challenging year, with COVID-19 putting a strain on families across the country.  For many, the crisis has resulted in wage losses, job losses and food insecurity.

 

Food pantries/banks across the country have been working hard to provide for those in need.  But with higher demands this year, these organizations have found themselves struggling to help hungry families.

 

In recognition of that need, NCP Cares dedicated our 2020 initiative to help ensure food supplies remain steady.

 

We asked our panel members to nominate food pantries/banks in their areas to receive a one-time donation.  After reviewing many entries, NCP narrowed the selection down to eight finalists.  We then asked our panel members to select their top five.

 

Based on that feedback, we are pleased to announce this year’s recipients:

Blessings in a Backpack, Livonia Michigan

The Giving Plate, Bend, Oregon

Marion Polk Food Share, Salem, Oregon

Paul’s Pantry, Green Bay, Wisconsin

Stow Food Pantry, Stow, Massachusetts

 

“This Pandemic has put a number of Americans in jeopardy of being unable to ensure food is on the table for themselves and their families,” said NCP Chief Operating Officer John Toomey, “We hope these small contributions provide some assistance in helping people feel a sense of stability in these trying times.”

 

About NCP Cares
NCP Cares is National Consumer Panel’s special community outreach program serving on both a local and national level through charitable donations and volunteer initiatives. The mainstay of the program is an annual charitable donation to organizations in our panel members’ own communities.

 

Each year, NCP selects a category (homeless shelters, veterans, pet shelters, etc.) and invites panel members to nominate a local organization by sharing with us how they make an impact.  Out of thousands of entries, the NCP Cares board carefully reviews the nominations, selecting anywhere from two or more to share a charitable donation of $10,000.

 

 

BLESSINGS IN A BACKPACK
Children who are on free or reduced cost lunch programs in school often go hungry on weekends.  Blessings in a Backpacks of Livonia, Michigan provides packed bags of food to 500+ children to take home on weekends.

 

Currently, BIAB Livonia is in 13 schools with expansion plans to get into all of the Livonia schools all the way up to high school.

 

“Thank you very much for your generous donation of  $2,000. to help provide more than 3 million hunger-free weekends to children living with food insecurity.

 

For one in five children, weekends mean 65 long hours of hunger. Luckily, these kids have people like you looking out for them- heroes who help fight childhood hunger on the weekends.

 

Your gift is critical to Blessings in a Backpack’s work to ensure children receive the nutrition they need to grow, learn, and thrive-to be a kid.  Thank you for being a hero of Blessings in a Backpack. You have made a difference.”

 

(For more information, visit http://biablivonia.org/)

 

THE GIVING PLATE
The Giving Plate of Bend Oregon distributes over 8,000 food boxes a year, each containing 5 days’ worth of groceries per individual in the house.  They also feature a youth-specific food bank – the “Kid’s Korner.”   This program provides 540+ kids per week in 33 area schools with food for the weekend. In the 2019/2020 school year, they provided over 21,000 weekend bags of food – a 68% increase since adopting the program in June 2018.

 

“At the Giving Plate, we are committed to feed hope while sharing food with our neighbors in need.  2020 has been a hard year on so many.  We are so grateful to be on the frontlines of hunger in our community, and it is only made possible by generous donations like the one received from National Consumer Panel.

 

This week and next, we are purchasing 500 turkeys and the sides to go with it.  This donation will help us ensure that local families here in Central Oregon are able to sit together at their own table and enjoy a Thanksgiving meal together.

 

Thank you for empowering us to fight hunger and feed hope in Central Oregon.”
– Ranae Staley Executive Director – The Giving Plate

(For more information, visit http://thegivingplate.org)

 

 

MARION POLK FOOD SHARE
Every month, more than 46,000 people – including 15,000 children – will access emergency food through the Marion Polk Food Share partner network. This food may be a hot meal served at a shelter, a free community meal served at a church, or an emergency food box from a food pantry. This nutritious food will help children and adults learn, work, and thrive.

 

“National Consumer Panel’s gift of $2,000 will provide 6,000 meals for hungry neighbors in Marion and Polk counties, Oregon. Our network of hunger-relief partners is serving about 70,000 people each month, who are seeking assistance to put food on their tables.

 

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are serving 50% more people than usual. This takes an enormous effort, which your gift supports. Thank you!”
– Corrina Hawkins, Marion Polk Food Share Director of Donor Relations

 

(For more information, visit http://marionpolkfoodshare.org/)

 

 

PAUL’S PANTRY
Paul’s Pantry of Green Bay Wisconsin was started as a result of a need to care for hungry people in the community.  Its goal is to provide a family with enough food every week, for as long as needed.  That way they can use their money for shelter, utilities and other necessities.  Besides rescuing over 5 million pounds of food from the marketplace each year, all inedible food is given to local livestock farmers, so nothing is wasted.

 

“While in some parts of the United States there might seem to be an indifference to the food needs of the poor, it’s not so in the Green Bay community.

 

Your charity to the needy of Paul’s Pantry has had a profound and lasting influence on many of their lives. We at Paul’s Pantry can observe daily the grateful reactions to your generosity and the comfort that you bring to their hurts and pains.

 

Thank you so much, and may God bless you for the lasting influence your generous charity will have on their lives.”

 

(For more information, visit http://paulspantry.org)

 

STOW FOOD PANTRY  Stow, Massachusetts
For more than 25 years, the Stow Food Pantry has been serving the towns of Stow, Maynard, Acton, Boxborough, Lancaster and Bolton.  They assist families through times of food insecurity by providing food and personal items.

 

“On behalf of the board of directors of Stow Food Pantry Inc., thank you for your generous donation of $2000 from the NCP Cares Program. We very much appreciate your donation and thank you for sharing your good fortune with the communities we serve.”

 

(For more information, visit http://stowfoodpantry.com)