June is National Dairy Month, and to celebrate, a campaign is underway to make sure everyone has access to an important staple.
The American Dairy Association North East is teaming up with Market 32 and Price Chopper to help fill the need for fresh milk as part of the Fill a Glass with Hope campaign.
Through July 18, shoppers can donate money in checkout lines that will go toward milk at local food banks.
Lynn Hy, the chief development officer for the Food Bank of Central New York, said the need in our area spiked in the fall, and she expects that to continue, especially since the school year is ending, and many students won’t be receiving free breakfast and lunch.
"We see an increase in families coming to the emergency food network in the summer to get that food that their children are relying on receiving during the school year,” Hy said.
Audrey Donahoe, owner of Atrass Farm in Clayville, NY, and the president of the American Dairy Association North East, said the program supports the work of local dairy farmers, while helping families who need milk.
"It's a nutritious product, that's for sure,” Donahoe said. “It has the essential 13 nutrients, vitamins. It has calcium. A lot of people are looking for protein now, and it has protein in it. It's just a naturally produced product that has so much value to it."
The Fill A Glass with Hope campaign has raised more than $315,000 and provided more than 1.2 million servings of milk over the past 12 years.
