Bucks Knocks Out Hunger To Provide Over $12,000 To Local Food Pantries

Throughout the month of February, the coalition behind Bucks Knocks Out Hunger (BKO Hunger) will show local food pantries some love through a $12,000 grant for critical food supplies. The money will be used to purchase items like milk and eggs for more than 20 pantries county-wide.

Bucks Knocks Out Hunger, led by United Way of Bucks County, seeks to eliminate hunger and food insecurity and increase access to nutritious foods for low-income children, families, and seniors. The $12,000 was designated to BKO Hunger by donors who participated in United Way of Bucks County’s 2016 workplace campaign.

Heather Foor, Food Program Manager at Bucks County Opportunity Council – a BKO Hunger partner agency – is looking forward to making more nutritious foods available to pantry clients. “Items like milk and eggs are often in very limited supply and they are the ones most needed by the people who use the pantries,” she says.

This $12,000 grant is in addition to $70,000 worth of meals, fresh produce, and support that was disbursed through BKO Hunger in 2016. The program is made possible by sponsors, hundreds of donors, and partners at Bucks County Opportunity Council, Rolling Harvest Food Rescue, Delaware Valley University’s Hope of the Harvest Charitable Garden, and the United Way of Bucks County’s Community Solutions Team.

According to Tim Philpot, Impact Director for Health at United Way of Bucks County, collaboration is key to fighting hunger countywide. He notes that the need for food remains high in Bucks County, with 1 in 10 residents and 16 percent of all children classified as food insecure.

Members of the community are urged to consider helping in the fight against hunger in Bucks County. There are several ways to get involved in the coming months:

• United Way of Bucks County and Bucks County Opportunity Council will host Operation Helping Hand, a county-wide food drive that occurs annually in March. Food is collected through public schools, private schools, businesses, child care centers, senior centers, and government offices in Bucks County. For more information or to get involved in Operation Helping Hand, contact Danielle Bush at 215.949.1660 ext 112 or danielleb@uwbucks.org  or Heather Foor at 215.348.3175 or hfoor@bcoc.org.
• Donations to Bucks Knocks Out Hunger are accepted year-round at www.uwbucks.org/bkohunger or by mailing checks with “BKO Hunger” in the memo line to United Way of Bucks County, 413 Hood Boulevard, Fairless Hills, PA 19030.
• Business sponsors are needed for BKO Hunger 2017. Sponsors have the opportunity to help the community and engage employees in a high-energy volunteer event in June 2017. Contact Andrea Walls at 215-949-1660, ext 114 or andreaw@uwbucks.org for more information.