Today we feature Olivia Cunningham on the fifth day of Work site Week. Read her experiences in working with Feeding Pennsylvania. More below the cut.
In my work with Feeding Pennsylvania, I am constantly challenged to learn more about the charitable food industry, a vast network about which I was largely clueless before beginning this year of service in August. Feeding Pennsylvania represents eight food banks across the state, which work together with thousands of agencies to provide millions of meals each year. Since it’s a small non-profit, I get to do a little bit of everything, from attending advocacy meetings to writing press releases to organizing fundraisers to figuring out the average cost of a meal in Pennsylvania, which is a challenge given the incredible diversity in this commonwealth. One of my favorite experiences–both challenging and rewarding–was organizing the launch of Fill A Glass with Hope, the first statewide charitable fresh milk distribution program in the country, at the 100th Farm Show. One dollar provides about eight servings of milk to those who otherwise wouldn’t have it, and our goal is to distribute 2 million servings this year! I’ve been able to see the development of this program statewide from the very beginning, and I learned so much by working with food bankers, farmers, government representatives and corporate sponsors on this launch. I also got to hold a giant check, one of the items on my bucket list!
