Help Us Help the Haven!
added 02/01/11
Today is the last day of the 2011 Haven Food Drive! Learn more below about the drive and what you can do to help.
Haven Food Drive February 1-28, 2011
A noble vision, parlayed into action, leaves a lasting legacy if you let it. In 1999, that vision was a food drive—a partnership between a cooperative that sells food and a local shelter that serves people who could use it. Since then, the Co-op and the Upper Valley Haven have been community partners with a purpose and have worked together during the month of February to help the needy in the Upper Valley.
This year—the 22nd year of the Haven Food Drive—we’ll proudly make that vision a reality again. Shelf tags on the aisles will indicate good choices for the food drive. Boxes in the lobby will accept donations. Signs, banners, and web pages will promote it and keep the community updated on progress.
But just as with previous years, none of it matters without you. Our members and customers have kept the food drive alive all these years—making it successful and helping us to help us reach our goals even when the economy has been sour. And this year we’re asking for your help again.
The Details
The Upper Valley Haven is located in White River Junction, Vermont, and offers a variety of services—emergency food provisions among them—to Upper Valley residents who need a helping hand.
In February, the weather is often at its worst, and heating bills are often at their highest. As a result, many of the Haven’s clients share the same all-too-familiar story about trying to find a way to keep their families both warm and fed this time of year.
That’s where you and the Food Drive come in.
Special shelf tags with The Haven Food Drive logo direct our Hanover store shoppers to items that are needed the most. And shoppers at all Co-op locations can make a cash donation to the food drive at the check-out counter. The collected funds in the month of February will be used to buy items by the case.
The Goal
Our goal this year is to collect 4,000 pounds of non-perishable food, including items such as canned stews, hearty soups, tuna fish, canned fruits and vegetables, and cold cereal. It’s always a lofty goal, and even more challenging when economic conditions are tough. But you can help us make it happen!
Volunteers Needed
Over the years, another key component has helped to make the Haven Food Drive such a success: volunteers!
Each year we depend on volunteers to box, weigh, and deliver food to The Haven from the Hanover store. This activity takes place at the volunteers’ convenience between 8:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays in February.
Ideally, volunteers make a commitment to the four occurrences of one of those days. However, if this is not possible, consider offering your assistance as a substitute or a one-time volunteer. For more information, or to sign up, contact Michele Jordan by January 18th at (603) 640-6323 or send her an email.
