‘Food for February’ raises $25K for Family Kitchen
Mission accomplished this year for the “Food for February campaign” hosted by Newport Ave. Market during the month of December.
The campaign raised an astonishing $12,668.24 from customer donations alone. More inspired than ever, Newport Market owners Rudy Dory and Lauren G.R. Johnson matched funds dollar-for-dollar, totaling $25,336.48.
What does this mean to Family Kitchen of Bend? More than four months’ worth of ingredients to fulfill its need of 5,000 meals per month for community members it serves.
Newport Market worked hand-in-hand with major brands currently carried in their store to selectively order hundreds of fresh foods, at wholesale prices, from Family Kitchen’s wish list. To start, provisions include high-grade meats, 360 gallons of milk, 240 dozen eggs, 300 pounds of lunchmeats, 240 pounds of cheeses, and much more. The food supply will be delivered to Family Kitchen for 26 to 30 consecutive weeks, starting today!
Donna Burklo, Family Kitchen Development & Marketing Director, says, “The response from the community and the support shown by Newport Avenue Market are overwhelming to us. We keep shaking our heads in disbelief! It’s hard to know exactly what impact this will have, since the value of each dollar donated and matched is then multiplied by the buying power of the wholesale prices available to Newport Market. This goes a long, long way toward helping us feel confident we’ll be able to continue to meet the need.”
“We are proud to be part of one of the largest food donations in the tri-county region, thanks to our generous customers,” says Lauren G.R. Johnson, Head Cheerleader at Newport Ave. Market. “December was truly a time of giving this holiday season! We are absolutely flabbergasted by the generosity of our customers and caring community. February is historically one of the hardest hitting months for hungry families in Central Oregon and this campaign will deliver food for several months,” added Johnson.
