Customers of the Wayside Restaurant, Bakery & Creamery deserve a big congratulations. During the month of December, table tents were displayed on every Wayside table, asking customers to support the Foodbank with a donation of $1, $3 or $5. In total, 570 customers contributed more than $2,000 to the Vermont Foodbank.
During the past nine years, Wayside’s loyal customers, along with owners Brian and Karen Zecchinelli, have provided more than 44,500 meals for our neighbors in need, through their annual Check Out Hunger promotion.
“We are so grateful to Brian and Karen for their support in raising awareness about the needs of our community,” said John Sayles, Vermont Foodbank CEO. “And a big thanks to Wayside customers for their continued, generous support of the Vermont Foodbank!”
This year’s Check Out Hunger promotion focused on the childhood hunger. In Vermont, 25,400 children under the age of 18 living in households struggling with hunger. Many of these households seek food assistance at one of the 270 charitable food providers that are members of the Vermont Foodbank’s network.
Pictured L to R: Robbie Salter and Brian Zecchinelli from the Wayside, and Tom Abbiati and Stephani Kononan from the Vermont Foodbank. Also pictured is Hungry Kate, the spokes-child of the Wayside’s “Check-Out Hunger” program.
Click here to learn more about Kate and childhood hunger in Vermont.
###
Vermont Foodbank is the state’s largest hunger-relief organization, providing nutritious food through a network of more than 300 community partners – food shelves, meal sites, schools, hospitals, and housing sites. Food insecurity has increased dramatically as a result of the pandemic, economic disruptions, and recent flooding. The Vermont Foodbank and its network have been on the front lines, working to ensure that everyone has the food they need to maintain their health. Last year, the Vermont Foodbank provided over 12 million pounds of food to people throughout Vermont. The Vermont Foodbank, a member of Feeding America, is nationally recognized as one of the most effective and efficient nonprofits and food banks in the nation.
