North Valley Food Bank spreads joy with 24 Days of Giving

North Valley Food Bank kicked off their 24 Days of Giving campaign on Dec. 1.  

“This is a season of kindness, and every donation — no matter how big or small — brings us one step closer to ensuring that families can enjoy warm, nutritious meals together,” the food bank’s Executive Director Sophie Albert. 

Each day for the first 24 days of December, North Valley Food Bank will highlight a specific donation request, from non-perishable food items to household essentials, and everything in between.  

The 24 Days of Giving are part of North Valley Food Bank’s Year-End Campaign with a fundraising goal of $500,000. Campaign success will ensure that the food bank can continue food distribution services as the demand continues to increase steadily each month. 

At Thanksgiving, the food bank served an all-time record of 613 families. 

A gift of 100 crockpots, donated by board member Tony Veseth in memory of NVFB’s founder June Munski-Feenan, is a recent example of the community’s generosity. The crockpots were distributed to food bank customers in November along with nourishing one pot meal kits.  

One customer shared a touching memory of how a simple crockpot changed her family’s life when she was struggling to make ends meet.  

“Years ago, my son and I were living in an old school bus. We were out of food, and I drove into town to go to the food bank,” said the food bank customer. “They happened to be doing a giveaway of crockpots and I was so thankful to receive one. It (was) the only way I had to make meals for my family. I am happy to say I don’t need one today, but I will never forget the time when I did,” the NVFB customer said.  

For more information on the campaign, visit www.northvalleyfoodbank.org or contact Mandy Gerth, director of development at mandy@northvalleyfoodbank.org. 

    North Valley Food Bank kicked off 24 Days of Giving campaign on Dec. 1. (Photo provided)