Merrimack Valley Food Bank

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Virtual Food Drive

Make a donation with a purchase. Click here to visit our online store!

DO YOU NEED FOOD ASSISTANCE? For a calendar list of the days and hours of Lowell Pantries and Meals click here. Contact the Project Bread Food Source Hotline at 1-800-645-8333 for a Massachusetts pantry or meals program near you.

UPCOMING Events Sunday, January 22, 2012 – 2nd Annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser Noon—4:00PM St. Anne's Episcopal Church, Lowell Benefits the MVFB and Living Waters Ministry of Hope. Sample delicious soups and chowders and take home a commemorative bowl for only $20.00! Soup sample option: $10.00 per person, $5.00 for children under 12. Please bring non-perishable food donations. Make a bowl to donate to Empty Bowls at a participating studio and get a special rate! Great girls' night out or family activity or Scouts' Community Service project! Magic Brush Pottery — Tewksbury, MA Time to Clay — Nashua, NH Ancient Echos Arts — Chelmsford, MA Fire Your Desire — Acton, MA April 26, 2012 – 7th Annual Grape Expectations Wine Tasting and Auction Fundraiser 6:00PM—9:00PM Lowell Memorial Auditorium 50 East Merrimack Street Lowell, MA 01852 Enjoy fine wine sampling and hors d'oeuvres while bidding on distinctive auction items. Tickets - $50.00 Click here for sponsorship and ticket information Click here to sponsor or donate securely with a MasterCard or Visa Click here to purchase tickets or donate with your MasterCard or Visa Call Debbie at 978-454-7272 for more information. Monetary donations toward the event and auction items gladly accepted! Sponsored by Merrimack Valley Magazine September 10, 2012 – 19th Annual Golf Tournament Fundraiser Check back soon for more details! 2012 Food Drive Campaign We rely on donations every month throughout the year from people like you! Click here for a list of donation suggestions (click here) Register your food drive! (click here) We appreciate delivery of your donations to our warehouse at 735 Broadway Street, Lowell, MA Mon—Fri between 9AM—3PM. Please realize that saving the MVFB a trip to pick up food donations of less than 500 items is equivalent to a donation. Click here for additional information and to customize your flyer.

Spotlight Donor:
The Plenus Group in Lowell, MA!
Click here for more information about
our Donor of the Month

“It’s important for our family to get this food once a month to fill the void that we have in our cabinets sometimes.”

*Mel and Agnes are in their 40’s and have 12 year old twins. Agnes has rheumatoid arthritis and hypertension, resulting in limited mobility. Mel continued working after being diagnosed with muscular dystrophy, and was in extreme pain. Now both are disabled and unable to work. Agnes says, "The food pantry helps us, especially in these times when a lot of people have limited income.” Mel and Agnes appreciate the nutritious food they receive, including fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, cereal and canned soup, from the Mobile Pantry program of the Merrimack Valley Food Bank.

*Not their real names, but an actual family served by a local food pantry.

DO YOU NEED FOOD ASSISTANCE?

For a calendar list of the days and hours of Lowell
Pantries and Meals click here.

Contact the Project Bread Food Source Hotline at
1-800-645-8333 for a Massachusetts pantry or
meals program near you.

HUNGER BYTES

http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/15/9461848-dismal-prospects-1-in-2-americans-are-now-poor-or-low-income

An estimated 49.1 million Americans, or 16.4 percent, are food insecure; meaning their access to enough food is limited by a lack of money and other resources. (USDA/ERS, Household Food Security in the United States: 2008)
The food hardship rate is even worse for households with children – nearly one in four such households suffered food hardship in 2009. (Food Research and Action Center –FRAC)
The Merrimack Valley Food Bank serves over 600,000 individuals annually through a network of food pantries, shelters, soup kitchens, day and residential programs in 26 cities and towns in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Families who have difficulty buying fresh healthy foods experience types I & II diabetes, obesity and decreased learning abilities and performance in school.
We are entering a new era of food insecurity: the numbers of food insecure people are increasing, and there is no evidence to suggest that this will change.
Good nutrition through hunger relief programs like food pantries, meals programs, shelters and day programs alleviates health problems as well as the cost to our Commonwealth to treat residents whose health problems are related to hunger and poor nutrition.

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