MAST General Stores hosts Be A Sweetheart Campaign to benefit MANNA
Posted 02/08/11
Staff Reports
February 7, 2011 12:15 am
In celebration of Valentine’s Day, gifts and cards are usually exchanged and oftentimes a wonderful meal is enjoyed. However, there are others to whom even a hot, nutritious meal is a luxury. To help everyone have a meal, Mast General Store is partnering with MANNA FoodBank to raise awareness of hunger in Western North Carolina with its eighth annual Be a Sweetheart…Feed the Hungry event. This year Mast Store will contribute $1 for each pound of candy purchased Feb. 12-13.
Hunger is a major force in Western North Carolina. According to Hunger in America 2010, 1 in 6 people in the western part of North Carolina sought emergency food aid from MANNA FoodBank’s partner agencies in a single year. Compare that to a national average of 1 in 8.
To meet this need, MANNA distributed 7.6 million pounds of food in 2009 to its partners in its 16-county area. That’s enough for 15,000 meals each day. “The information in this study confirms stories we hear every day about hardship and hunger in Western North Carolina,” said Kitty Schaller, executive director of MANNA FoodBank. “These numbers paint the true picture of need in these difficult times – and the response by nonprofits that provide food assistance.”
Fred Martin, vice president of the Mast General Store, commented, “Our Be a Sweetheart…Feed the Hungry event has helped provide food to the food banks serving our local communities at a time when donations are at a lower level. After the holidays, donations tend to wane, and in these challenging economic times, we need to help our neighbors whenever we can.”
“It is just amazing what these organizations can do with a dollar,” said Martin. “With the help of donations and contributions by restaurants and vendors, spare change can feed a person three hot, healthy meals. Any amount can help.”
For more information on how you can “Be a Sweetheart,” call MANNA FoodBank at 299-3663 or the Mast Store in Asheville at 232-1883, Hendersonville at 696-1883 or Waynesville at 452-2101.
