Weis Markets, PA Dairymen’s Association, Feeding Pennsylvania and American Dairy Association North East celebrated World Milk Day and National Dairy Month with the kickoff of the Fill A Glass With Hope® campaign. The kickoff event at Weis Markets in Lewisburg featured special appearances from Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding, former Pittsburgh Steelers star Charlie Batch and local dairy farmer Dina Zug.
Weis Markets customers can round up their grocery payments at checkout to help fight hunger throughout the month of June statewide. In addition, Weis will host the PA Dairymen’s “Milkshakes On The Moo-ve” truck at area stores for milkshake fans to enjoy those popular milkshakes.
“We applaud the leadership of Weis Markets and all of our partners in the fight against hunger in June Dairy Month. Thanks to the generosity of our farmers, consumers and businesses, we have expanded our ability to pour fresh, nutritious milk across Pennsylvania to nourish food insecure children and families through our successful Fill A Glass With Hope Campaign,” said Dave Smith, Executive Director of PA Dairymen’s Association.
“No one in Pennsylvania should be denied access to nutritious food, including fresh milk, especially the over half a million children in our Commonwealth who are facing hunger every day,” said Jane Clements, Chief Executive Officer of Feeding Pennsylvania. “Milk is one of the most requested items in our charitable food network and Feeding Pennsylvania’s member food banks are extremely appreciative of our dairy farmers and business leaders such as Weis Markets for investing in this amazing program so that we can purchase milk, at a reduced price, directly from local dairy processors and distribute it to Pennsylvania families in need.”
“Weis Markets is proud to partner with PA Dairymen’s Association, Feeding Pennsylvania and American Dairy Association North East this Dairy Month to pour fresh milk across Pennsylvania,” said Ron Bonacci, Weis Markets Vice President, Advertising and Marketing. “As a company with strong roots in Pennsylvania, we appreciate these organizations’ leadership in addressing food insecurity and supporting the local dairy industry.”
Donations will be distributed to the following local food banks to purchase milk: Central Pennsylvania Food Bank, Helping Harvest, Philabundance, Second Harvest Food Bank of NEPA and the Lehigh Valley, and the Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank.
Milk is one of the most requested items at food banks but one of the least donated due to perishability. Without milk in the diet, it is difficult to get the recommended essential nutrients for health, especially for children. Milk is the top source of calcium, potassium, and Vitamin D in the American diet – nutrients critical to development and growth in children.
The PA Dairymen’s “Milkshakes On The Moo-ve” truck will be available at Weis Markets stores in Pennsylvania throughout the month of June. The truck will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. unless otherwise indicated.
- Wednesday, June 1, at Weis Markets, 6901 Westbranch Highway, Lewisburg, PA 17837
- Thursday, June 2, at Weis Markets, 1800 Roosevelt Avenue, York, PA 17408
- Tuesday, June 7, at Weis Markets, 4525 Valley Road, Enola, PA 17025
- Wednesday, June 15, at Weis Markets, 7801 Glenlivet Drive W, Fogelsville, PA 18051 (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
- Tuesday, June 21, at Weis Markets, 2425 Schoenersville Road, Bethelehem, PA 18017
- Thursday, June 23, at Weis Markets, 3440 Grandview Drive, Macungie, PA 18062
- Thursday, June 30, at Weis Markets 30 Primrose Lane, East Berlin, PA 17316
About Weis Markets
Founded in 1912, Weis Markets, Inc. is a Mid Atlantic food retailer operating 196 stores in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and West Virginia. For more information, please visit: WeisMarkets.com or Facebook.com/WeisMarkets
About Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association
The Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association is the oldest dairy group in Pennsylvania. The Dairymen’s Milkshake is the top-selling food item at the Food Court. The Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association has been supporting “Fill a Glass with Hope®” with agriculture partners, Feeding PA, American Dairy Association North East, corporate partners and food banks since 2015. Over the past three years, the PA Dairymen have donated more than $1.4 million to
programs including The Calving Corner; agricultural and educational projects; initiatives and scholarships; the Fill A Glass with Hope® fresh milk campaign for neighbors in need; the Choose PA Dairy consumer education and awareness campaign; the PA Farm Bureau Mobile Ag Education Lab that travels to schools; and the PA Dairy Princess and Promotion Program. Their philanthropic efforts build a brighter future for all Pennsylvanians. For more information, visit www.padairymens.com.
About Fill A Glass With Hope®
Fill a Glass with Hope® is a partnership formed among Feeding Pennsylvania and member food banks, the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association, and American Dairy Association North East that raises funds to enable member food banks to purchase fresh milk directly from their local dairies in order to distribute it to families in need. First piloted by the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank and the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank in 2015, Fill a Glass with Hope® launched statewide at the 100th PA Farm Show on January 8th, 2016. Each member food bank became licensed as a charitable milk sub-dealer by the Pennsylvania Milk Marketing board, allowing them to purchase milk from dairies at a reduced price. That reduced price is further subsidized by donations and sponsorships. The program has distributed more than 21 million servings of fresh milk since inception through the charitable food network of pantries, soup kitchen, shelters, and feeding programs.
About American Dairy Association North East
The American Dairy Association North East (ADANE) is the local affiliate of the National Dairy Council® and the regional consolidation of three promotion organizations including the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council, Inc., Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association and Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program. Committed to nutrition education and research-based communications, ADANE provides science-based nutrition information to, and in collaboration with, a variety of stakeholders committed to fostering a healthier nation, including health professionals, educators, school nutrition directors, academia, industry, consumers and media. Funded by dairy checkoff dollars from more than 10,000 dairy farm families in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and northern Virginia, ADANE works closely with Dairy Management Inc.™ to bring a fully integrated promotion program to the North East region. For more information, visit AmericanDairy.com