King Kullen Helps Provide Fresh Milk to Long Islanders in Need

September is Hunger Action Month, and King Kullen is joining forces with American Dairy Association North East in support of Fill a Glass with Hope® to provide fresh milk to families in need through Long Island Cares. Inc.- The Harry Chapin Regional Food Bank.

The campaign, beginning on September 1 and running through September 30, gives shoppers at King Kullen stores across Long Island an opportunity to donate $1, $3 or $5 at checkout to help make milk available to children and families in their local community.

According to Long Island Cares, an estimated 221,000 people on Long Island are food insecure, including 65,000 children. Approximately 40% of food-insecure Long Island households are above the poverty level but don’t make enough to keep up with the high cost of living in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, making them ineligible for nutrition assistance programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

“Milk is one of the most requested items at Food Banks, but one of the least donated due to its perishability,” says Robert LaBarbara, Long Island Cares Vice President for Procurement & Supply Chain Oversight. “Without milk in the diet, it is difficult to get the recommended essential nutrients for health. Milk is the top source of calcium, potassium, and Vitamin D in the American diet – nutrients critical to development and growth in children.”

Fill a Glass with Hope® is a joint effort between the American Dairy Association North East, dairy farmers, agriculture partners, and business leaders to help provide fresh milk to families in need through a network of local food banks. Thanks to generous supporters, the program has distributed more than 36 million servings of fresh milk since it began through a network of pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, and feeding programs.

“King Kullen is a longtime supporter of Long Island Cares - Harry Chapin Food Bank,” says Tracey Cullen, Senior Vice President – Company Operations and Long Island Cares Board member. “Twice a week, food is collected at nearly all of our King Kullen stores and all Wild by Nature stores and delivered to Long Island Cares’ headquarters and satellite facilities. During Hunger Action Month, we’re focusing on raising money for nutrient-rich milk to help fill a void at food banks.”

“On behalf of dairy farmers throughout the Northeast, we are grateful to corporations like King Kullen who can partner with us and use their resources to make a difference,” says John Chrisman, CEO American Dairy Association North East. “As shoppers purchase a gallon of milk during September, we urge them to consider their neighbors in need and donate to Fill A Glass With Hope® at checkout.”