May 2010

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Landmark Community Bank Launches Local Campaign to Fight Hunger

Landmark Community Bank and its employees are excited to launch a “Hunger” Campaign.  Landmark is partnering with local food shelves to assist in meeting the increasing demand to feed the hungry in the communities it serves.

Stop in at one of Landmark’s branches—addresses located at our website, www.landmark-bank.net, and drop off either food items or cash donations.  As little as $1 can make a huge difference in the fight against hunger.

Here’s some of the facts about the ongoing hunger crisis in Minnesota as listed on the Anoka County Brotherhood Council (ACBC) website: www.acbcfoodshelf.org

• Almost 1 million Minnesotans are living in households struggling to put food on the table
• An estimated 56% of food shelf visitors are families with children and 20% are families with seniors
• Statewide, more than 50% of food shelf visitors are employed
• In the Twin Cities suburbs alone, 60% of those who use food shelves are employed, but lack the income to cover all necessary expenses

According to Hunger Solutions, a statewide partnership of organizations fighting hunger (www.hungersolutions.org), last year saw 2 million visits and an estimated 47 million pounds of food distributed at Minnesota’s 300 food shelves.  Since 2000, there’s been a 62% increase in food shelf visits. In 2010, many food shelves are seeing double and triple digit increases. The Hunger Solutions website helps locate hunger and food resources in Minnesota by zip code, city or county. 

Summer is an especially hard time for families with school age children, as those children often have only one full meal per day and that is the meal they get at school.

Landmark’s branches are working with the following food shelves to collect food and/or monetary donations:

Ramsey: ACBC www.acbcfoodshelf.org

Isanti:   Family Pathways: www.familypathways.org

White Bear Township: White Bear Lake Emergency Food Shelf www.whitebearlakefoodshelf.org

In Isanti County, last August, 130 families used the Family Pathways Food Shelf—now there are 330+ families utilizing its resources.  In April alone this year, 33,000 pounds of food were distributed. There’s currently a need for personal care items as well as food, such as toothpaste, deodorant and shampoo.  Cleaning supplies are also welcome.

Our goal is to fill our decorated food boxes again and again as Landmark Community Bank partners with our community members to fight hunger.