Give Thanks this Season with Feeding South Florida: Thanksgiving Media Alert

Community Investment - 11/22/2012

Media Contact:

Durée Ross, Durée & Company, Inc.

954-723-9350 / duree@dureeandcompany.com

For Immediate Release

‘Tis the Season to Feed the Hungry in South Florida:

Feeding South Florida Offers Ways to Help Those Who are Food Insecure During Thanksgiving

Pembroke Park, Fla. – Nov. 2012: This Thanksgiving, nearly 1 million people in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe Counties will struggle to put food on the table. Shockingly, less than 1 percent of these people are homeless: over 50 percent of them have one or more employed adults in the family, and over 150,000 of them are seniors who face choices between paying rent, utilities and having enough nutritious food. One in four children in South Florida goes to bed hungry every night.

Feeding South Florida™, South Florida’s leading domestic hunger-relief organization, is offering many ways for the public to help ensure that those who are food insecure can set their table with delicious food this Thanksgiving.

In addition to donating funds to Feeding South Florida at www.feedingsouthflorida.org (for every $1 donated, Feeding South Florida can provide six meals), the public can help fight hunger through the following initiatives/events:

• Now through Nov. 18, 2012: Dunkin’ Donuts “Community Cups” to Fight Hunger Campaign: $1 donations are collected to support Feeding South Florida and The Dunkin’ Donuts & Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation (DDBRCF) at all participating South Florida locations from the Treasure Coast to the Keys.  For each donation, guests receive a “Community Cup” to sign and display in the restaurant. Fifty percent of proceeds are donated to Feeding South Florida; 50 percent are donated to The DDBRCF and designated for grants to local charities in the Southeast that focus on hunger relief, safety and children's health.

• Now through Jan. 7, 2013: Bank of America Holiday Campaign: Bank of America will triple gifts donated to Feeding America’s Give A Meal program at http://go.bofa.com/qc59. Select the “Your Local Food Bank” option when giving. Bank of America volunteers are also sorting, packaging, labeling and weighing donated food at Feeding South Florida on Saturday, Nov. 17.

• Saturday, Nov. 17: World of Beer by Dadeland Mall: Canned Food Drive (1,000 can goal). 9010 S.W. 72nd Place, Suite F-101, Miami, FL 33156, http://wobusa.com/Locations/Dadeland/

• Sunday, Nov. 18, noon: Tikkun Olam (Repair the World) Service Day – Jewish Community of Broward: Over 350 community leaders and families will volunteer sorting, packaging, labeling and weighing donated food at Feeding South Florida
  
  
• Monday, Nov. 19 through Thursday, Nov. 22: www.GoldStar.Com virtual Thanksgiving promotion: $15 or $30 can be purchased to benefit Feeding South Florida. www.goldstar.com/events/pembroke-park-fl/feeding-south-florida

• Tuesday, Nov. 20, 7 p.m. photos with professional athlete, 7:30 p.m. ride begins: Flywheel Sports + popchips Charity Ride: Featuring professional athlete Brian Hartline, 100 percent of proceeds to benefit Feeding South Florida ($50 minimum donation). Email dana@flywheelsports.com to reserve a bike. 1919 Purdy Ave., Miami Beach, FL, 33139, www.flywheelsports.com
  
   
• Tuesday, Nov. 20, 5:30-7 p.m.: Shula Burger (Fort Lauderdale) Grand Opening/VIP Reception in conjunction with Taste of the NFL and Kick Hunger Challenge to benefit Feeding South Florida – donations accepted. 1515 SE 17^th St., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316, www.shulaburger.com

• Wednesday, Nov. 21: To celebrate the arrival of the new Carnival Breeze’s arrival at its homeport (PortMiami), Carnival Cruise Lines will make a monetary donation to Feeding South Florida that will serve 134,500 meals to individuals who are food insecure. A 50-foot-tall inflatable turkey, sporting a straw beach hat and colorful Hawaiian shirt, will be perched on the ship’s Sports Deck from approximately noon on Nov. 21 and will be lighted throughout that night while at PortMiami.

• Wednesday, Nov. 21, 4:30 p.m.: Dolphin Day at Dolphins Practice Fields – Nova University, Dolphins players and coaches distribute turkey meals to 750 individuals who are food insecure from Feeding South Florida’s partner agencies. 3301 College Ave., Fort Lauderdale-Davie, FL 33314.

• Thursday, Nov. 22 (Thanksgiving Day), 2-9 p.m.: China Grill at Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina will donate a percentage of proceeds from its prix fixe Thanksgiving dinner to Feeding South Florida; donor cards also on tables for donations to Feeding South Florida. 1881 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316, www.chinagrillmgt.com

“As during every other time of year, Thanksgiving provides wonderful opportunities to help those who are food insecure in South Florida,” said Feeding South Florida President and CEO Paco Vélez. “These people live right in our own communities – they are the working poor, seniors, children and many others. With our many initiatives and events, we hope to help the nearly 1 million individuals facing food insecurity in South Florida set their tables to enjoy a memorable and fulfilling holiday.”

About Feeding South Florida

Feeding South Florida™ is a nonprofit organization that empowers other South Florida nonprofit organizations to assist people in need and improve their lives. Feeding South Florida does this by providing food and other grocery products, and by educating and engaging the community to fight hunger and poverty. Through a local network of approximately 450 other nonprofit organizations, Feeding South Florida strives to serve almost 1 million individuals in need, including more than 340,000 children who are food insecure, the elderly, the mentally and physically challenged, veterans and the working poor, in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Monroe Counties with compassion and integrity. Feeding South Florida, the largest food bank in the state, is a member of Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. In 2011, Feeding South Florida distributed nearly 30 million pounds of food valued at over $50 million within the South Florida community. Feeding South Florida’s headquarters is located at 2501 SW 32 Terrace, Pembroke Park, FL, 33023. For more information, please call (954) 518-1818 or visit www.feedingsouthflorida.org.

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