Harvest for Hunger

HARVEST FOR HUNGER

Since our campaign kicked off on November 1st 2017, as of March 1st, 2018, we’ve raised over $2,000! And since we match every single dollar, that’s over $4K–for fresh produce purchases!

WHAT IS HARVEST FOR HUNGER?

It’s our primary philonthropic campaign to benefit the Reading/Windsor and the Woodstock Community Food Shelf!

The Woodstock Farmers’ Market has been ordering fresh produce for the Woodstock Community Food Shelf since the winter of 2006 (and the Reading West Windsor Food Shelf starting in 2015). Back in 2006 during the holidays we put out collection boxes at our cash registers with the pledge to match whatever funds were donated to buy fresh produce for the community food shelf. We continue to do this each year! But this is a different program than you see most businesses get into.

HOW CAN I HELP??

Donate any amount of spare change/dollars/or write a check and we will match that amount. We keep it simple.

OTHER INFO AND FUN FACTS

  • This is a FRESH PRODUCE campaign...and it’s super rewarding to help those in need with fresh, perishable items, not just canned goods or other shelf stable food. WFM sees a real need to have fresh produce available for those who come to the food shelf.
  • We MATCH ALL CUSTOMER GIVING! That means we can double the amount of fresh produce we order for the food shelves and can prolong the orders well into the summer and fall.
  • We now add in monies from the Downtown Merchants (see below) to create an even larger ability to help the food shelves with fresh produce.
  • Last year (November 16 through August 17) Collections at the register totalled $2,640…and WFM matched $2,640 FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF $5,280!! The DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS GROUP has also been contributing to our fund and with their $1,454–making the grand total $6,734 available for fresh produce purchases.

DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS GROUP

Since December of 2009 we have been joined in our efforts by the Woodstock Downtown Merchants group spearheaded by Nick Ferro. Funds collected by Nick from the merchants is funneled through Woodstock Farmers’ Market enabling us to procure even more fresh produce throughout the winter months. We arrange fresh produce pick-ups for the food shelf bi-weekly beginning in November through April.  Essentially, the Woodstock Farmers’ Market and its customers provide one delivery per month and the Merchants group provides the other. Having the Merchants group join us in this effort has enabled us to donate twice as much each winter than before and also provides for a monthly donation to the Reading food shelf as well.

Click here for more information on the Woodstock Community Food Shelf.