Anti-hunger advocates gathered outside the Delaware Department of Labor’s Pencader office in Glasgow to launch Share a Second Helping, a winter-long campaign. The kick-off coincided with a mobile food distribution for individuals using the unemployment office.
In response to a recent $16 million dollar cut to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Delaware and even deeper cuts to SNAP proposed by members of Congress, the Coalition to End Hunger, Food Bank of Delaware, Delaware Health and Social Services and Delaware 2-1-1 have asked Delawareans to help those in need.
“A $16 million cut to SNAP is a significant cut for already-vulnerable populations, such as our children, seniors, people with disabilities and the working poor, “ said Food Bank of Delaware CEO Patricia Beebe. “This cut is more than the entire yearly budget of the food bank. Already-strapped charitable organizations cannot fill the void of Congress’ inability to come up with workable solutions to the problems associated with poverty.” DHSS Secretary Rita Landgraf said the state will work with the community to make up the gap left by the $16 million reduction to SNAP.
With a campaign goal of 100,000 pounds, the Food Bank of Delaware has asked individuals, businesses, community-based organizations, schools, faith-based organizations and others to host winter-long food drives and fund-raisers. Delaware 2-1-1 fielded more than 100,000 phone calls from Delawareans in need of human services last year.
State Rep. Ed Osienski and state Sen. Bryan Townsend, both of whom represent parts of the Newark area, were both on hand for the launch.
“Share a Second Helping is not only about gathering the needed resources to get through the cold winter months, it’s also about coming up with solutions to effectively end hunger and battling negative stereotypes surrounding those in need of emergency food assistance,” said Coalition to End Hunger Chairwoman Julie Miro Wenger. “We are serving hard-working families, adults with disabilities, seniors who have worked their entire lives and children. We all play a role in ensuring that we meet the basic needs of families.”
To learn more about Share a Second Helping, visit http://www.fbd.org/share-a-second-helping/
Stache-Tober at Christiana Care
(From Christiana Care)
Employees of Christiana Care’s Critical Care Transport Team made October “Stache-Tober” as they grew mustaches to support cancer patients.
Led by paramedic Brian King and John Chambers, RN and sponsored by Christiana Care, 10 members of the transport team grew mustaches to raise awareness and funds for the Center for Translational Cancer Research (CTCR).
Their work concluded on the morning of Halloween, when they arrived by ambulance at the Graham Cancer Center and presented a check for $5,012 to Nicholas J. Petrelli, M.D., Bank of America endowed medical director at the Graham Cancer Center.
“Cancer has affected all of us in many different ways,” said King. “We are excited to partner with our colleagues at the CTCR to support them in their efforts to find therapies to treat and prevent breast cancer.”
More than 100 people donated money to cheer on the mustachioed gentlemen.
The gift will support the CTCR, which allows physicians and scientific researchers to work side-by-side, identifying needs of individual patients at the bedside, bringing those problems to the lab to explore solutions, and then returning to the bedside where those new solutions can be used to help the patient.
Each member of the Stache-Tober team has had a friend or family member who was diagnosed with cancer. Their heartfelt initiative included t-shirts that read “We mustache you to help find a cure for cancer” and a Facebook page that got more than 1,000 likes during the month of October.
UD wins CAA Blood Challenge
The 12th-annual Colonial Athletic Association Blood Challenge proved to be a success as 2,903 productive units of blood were collected from 2,776 donors on nine CAA campuses.
“Thanks to everyone who organized and participated in making the CAA Blood Challenge a success,” CAA Commissioner Tom Yeager said. “The outstanding efforts put forth by our students, faculty and administrators have a positive impact on the lives of thousands of people during a critical time for blood donations over the holiday season.”
The University of Delaware captured the CAA Blood Challenge for the third year in a row and seventh time overall with 1,173 donors.
“The University of Delaware is extremely proud once again this year to have captured the CAA Blood Challenge title,” said University of Delaware Director of Athletics and Recreation Services Eric Ziady. “We are proud of our student-athletes’ accomplishments both in the classroom and on the playing fields and programs such as this play such an important role as our young men and women develop into leaders in the community.”
