(Alexandria, Va. – June 18, 2008) – Nominated by the Wisconsin Association of Family & Consumer Sciences, America’s Second Harvest: The Nation’s Food Bank Network, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, will be honored with the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) 21st Century Community Champion Award for helping to provide more than 25 million disadvantaged Americans with nutritious foods, safe and nurturing places to eat, emergency food assistance, and opportunities to break the cycle of hunger and poverty.
Bill McGowan, America’s Second Harvest chief operating officer, will accept the award to be presented by Bonnie Braun, AAFCS president, at the AAFCS 99th Annual Conference & Expo in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on June 19, 2008. The conference theme is Evolving Technology: Impact on Individuals, Families and Communities.
“As our nation’s economy continues to suffer, we’re seeing an increased demand for food across the country – 15 to 20 percent on average, but as high as 50 and 60 percent in some areas.” said McGowan. “Recognition of our work from the Wisconsin Association of Family & Consumer Sciences continues to help us validate our mission work and improve the lives of not just thousands of people within Wisconsin, but millions of people around the country.”
Established in 2001, the AAFCS 21st Century Community Champion Award recognizes groups, organizations, and companies that promote the connection between strong families and strong communities by creating viable projects and activities that build communities in which families are valued, supported, and strengthened. The first recipient of the award in 2001 was the Annie E. Casey Foundation in Baltimore, Maryland.
The largest charitable domestic hunger-relief organization in the country, America’s Second Harvest has more than 200 member food banks and food-rescue organizations. The Network supports approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies operating more than 94,000 programs. They supply more than 2 billion pounds of food and grocery products to families and individuals annually.
In addition to helping feed millions of Americans, America’s Second Harvest provides research, advocates, and develops public policy to help eliminate hunger and poverty. Anti-hunger advocates and lawmakers rely on their publication, Almanac of Hunger and Poverty in America, which offers vital data from Second Harvest’s original research and from many government and private sources on federal nutrition and state specific programs.
“Evolving Technology” has improved the efficiency of the Second Harvest Network. Several partners offer Internet-based software to help manage national donations, assist donors with online donations, and ensure that donations go where they are most needed. Agency online-ordering, online fundraising, and disaster relief all require technology teams. Additionally, Second Harvest uses “Choice System” technology to make the food bank bidding process more efficient and less subjective. Since its implementation in 2005, donated products increased from 164 million in 2004 to 200 million in 2005.
About AAFCS
Founded in 1909, the American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS) is the only national not-for-profit 501 (c)(3) organization that provides leadership and support to FCS students and professionals across multiple practice settings. FCS professionals help individuals, families, and communities make informed decisions about their well-being, relationships, and resources to achieve optimal quality of life. AAFCS’ 7,000 members are elementary, secondary, and post-secondary educators, researchers, and administrators; Cooperative Extension educators; and other professionals in business and industry, not-for-profit organizations, and government. With national headquarters based in Alexandria, Va., AAFCS has 52 affiliates located across the United States and Puerto Rico.
For more information or to schedule an interview, contact Gwynn Mason at 703-706-4600, ext. 4621 or gmason@aafcs.org.