BRATTLEBORO — Project Feed the Thousands kicks off its 28th annual campaign against hunger in the community on Friday, Nov. 5. WTSA will mark the occasion by broadcasting live from 7 to 9 a.m. at at Market 32 (formerly Price Chopper), 499 Canal St.
The community-wide food drive and will be collecting cash and non-perishable food items through the end of the year at a number of collection points, including Market 32, Hannaford, and the Brattleboro Food Co-op. Boxes for cash donations will be available at some local banks and credit unions, as well as area convenience stores and other retail locations.
This year, donations of non-perishable food items to these food shelves will help feed thousands: Groundworks Food Shelf, St Brigid's Kitchen and Loaves & Fishes Community Kitchen, all in Brattleboro; Guilford Cares Food Pantry; Bread of Life Food Pantry in Vernon; Hinsdale Food Pantry; Our Place Drop In Center in Bellows Falls; Putney Food Shelf; and Townshend Community Food Shelf.
Food and supplies distributed through this campaign include peanut butter, canned fruits and vegetables, high-protein canned tuna and chicken, soup and crackers, pasta and sauces, breakfast cereal, and juice.
Goal: $100,000, and food for 300,000 meals
“It is not only this region's largest community food drive,” Project Co-chair Kelli Corbeil, owner of WTSA, said in a news release. “Its mission impacts more individuals in this area than any other organization that I can think of. One out of every five households in our area is facing hunger and, sadly, one in four children will go to bed hungry tonight.”
The community goal this year is to raise $100,000 in cash, as well as to collect enough provisions for 300,000 meals, said Project Co-chair Jeff Morse. “We have received tremendous support from individuals, businesses, churches, and schools in the past, but this year's goal is ambitious, and achieving it will be challenging,” he said.
Started in 1994 by Larry Smith, then of WTSA, and George Haynes, former president of Brattleboro Savings and Loan, Project Feed the Thousands has continually strived to fill a need that has not declined.
“The need continues to increase,” Haynes said. “When Project Feed the Thousands was first conceived of, we never imagined that our mission would be so incredibly necessary all these years later - that the need would have increased so exponentially - that the number of people in need of help would grow to the levels we now see - that our efforts would become such a vital and fundamental component to the health and well-being of so many of our friends and neighbors.”
“Hunger has long been a hidden epidemic, and has only intensified since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Corbeil. “Some of our friends and neighbors who were food insecure prior to the pandemic are facing additional challenges.”
WTSA donates countless hours of on-air time, and its employees canvass local businesses seeking support and promoting the campaign.
River Valley Credit Union merged with Members Advantage Community Credit Union of Barre in 2020, creating 802 Credit Union, which will continue River Valley's longstanding commitment to supporting the project.
All mailed donations will be processed by the 802 staff. All accounting and distribution of the funds to food shelves will occur there as well, with the credit union covering the administrative costs.
Cash contributions are maximized to their fullest extent when area food shelves use funds to purchase food at the Vermont FoodBank at a greatly reduced rate.
“Almost every school in the area - from pre-school, to elementary school, to high school, to some post-secondary schools - participates on some level, and I couldn't be more proud of the support we receive from school administrators, teachers and other staff, and of course the students,” said Corbeil. “We couldn't do it without them.”
“Hunger knows no boundaries,” said Haynes. “The people we are serving are good, honest people who simply need a little help [and] a little compassion, and we as a community have the ability to help our friends and neighbors in a profound and meaningful way.”