Vermont Foodbank to Host Hunger Conference

Barre, VT, March 15, 2007 – In support of its mission to increase awareness of the issue of hunger in Vermont, The Vermont Foodbank will hold its first annual Hunger Conference “Bridging the Gaps:  Taking Action to End Hunger,” on Tuesday, March 20 at the Capitol Plaza Hotel and Conference Center in Montpelier.  The day-long event will include findings and best practices from the Governor’s Task Force on Hunger, educational presentations regarding sustainable agriculture, information on healthy eating to prevent diabetes and other chronic conditions, and tutorials on annual fund solicitation and the Foodbank’s redesigned website.

Presented in partnership with Food Works at Two Rivers Center, the Vermont Department of Health, the Hunger Task Force and Central Vermont Medical Center, the Foodbank’s Hunger Conference is designed to provide a range of information, access to legislators and networking opportunities.  

Representatives from the Foodbank’s 270 Network Partners across the state – food shelves, senior centers, shelters and other community meal sites – will be the primary attendees at the event.  Anson Tebbetts, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture for the Vermont Agency of Agriculture is expected to attend, and Dr. Donald Swartz, Director of Health Improvement at the Vermont Department of Health will deliver the lunchtime keynote address.   

“Part of our mission is to educate people not just about the role the Foodbank plays in alleviating hunger in Vermont but what the state of hunger is in Vermont in general and what we can all do to help solve it,” said Edward Fox, co-interim CEO of the Vermont Foodbank.  “We look forward to hosting this conference as a forum for sharing information and planning new ways to fight hunger in all of Vermont’s communities.”

About the Vermont Foodbank
Located in Barre, the Vermont Foodbank is Vermont’s only food bank, and serves a network of 270 partners, consisting of food shelves, food pantries, senior centers, shelters and after-school programs, that assist 140,000 Vermonters each year.  In 2006, the Vermont Foodbank distributed nearly 6.5 million pounds of food to its Network Partners around the state.  Started in 1986, the Vermont Foodbank observed its 20th year of continuous operation last year.  The Foodbank is a member of America's Second Harvest – The Nation's Food Bank Network (A2HN), the country’s largest charitable hunger-relief organization.  For additional information about the Vermont Foodbank or to donate, please visit www.vtfoodbank.org.  To volunteer, contact Patrick Gilbert at 802-477-4127.

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Judy Stermer
Vermont Foodbank
(802) 477-4108
jstermer@secondharvest.org