Cindy wakes up, skips breakfast to feed her daughter, and heads to work hungry. In the afternoon she is able to go to her local food shelf and take home a healthy meal for dinner. She is aware of the toll chronic food insecurity is taking on the health, productivity, and emotional stability of both herself and her child. Today, she faced the challenge of meeting the basic needs of her family. And when she wakes up tomorrow, Cindy will face the same challenges all over again.

This is the nature of our work. Every day, the Vermont Foodbank ends hunger for our neighbors in need. The very next day, we must do it all over again. It’s a different metric of success. And it is why sustained, predictable support is so crucial.

Automatic, monthly giving is the most consistent source of income for the Vermont Foodbank, and because of the daily nature of hunger, our sustaining donors are central to the success of our mission.

Just last week, more than 8,200 Vermonters visited their local food shelf or meal site and received the services they needed because their community agency had food and support from the Vermont Foodbank. Last year, the Foodbank provided nearly 8.2 million pounds of food to our neighbors struggling with hunger — neighbors just like Cindy, who are hardworking yet are finding it ever more difficult to make ends meet.

For our supporters, monthly giving is convenient and environmentally friendly, removing the need for multiple mailings. For the Foodbank, it provides a high-value, dependable income stream that is less susceptible to fluctuations in the economy than other forms of giving. Because of this consistent support, the Foodbank stands ready to respond quickly to emergencies, getting help to the people who need it most, when they need it most. Monthly donations also allow the Foodbank to make and sustain commitments to new projects that can transform lives.

On November 1, 2013, all 3SquaresVT households saw a decrease in their monthly benefit. Many of the people in your community will need help to fill that gap and are already turning to their local food shelf — a community food source that is already resource-strapped. The Foodbank needs to be prepared to respond to the increased demand — food needs to be gathered and shared so that no one in our state goes hungry. Because hunger knows no season, the Foodbank must be ready each day, year-round to deliver the food that nourishes our friends and families.

Converting your support to a sustaining monthly gift is an act of both the heart and the head. Remember that monthly donations don’t have to be big to make a big impact — sustaining gifts throughout the year amount to significant annual support. Friends who give this way show a deep understanding of and connection to our daily mission, offering their help to the Foodbank, and to Vermonters like Cindy, who must meet the challenge of fighting hunger each day.

Please support the Vermont Foodbank today, with a sustaining monthly gift.