Pictured at the event, from left to right, River Bend Vice President Jenny Colvin, River Bend Community Engagement Manager Jayna Gallagher, Micaela Booth, director for Birdies for Charity at the John Deere Classic, Dave Heller, owner of the Quad Cites River Bandits, and River Bend President & CEO Chris Ford. Booth and Heller are two of the Million Meals Match Ambassadors who have signed on to champion the initiative.
MOLINE, ILL. – River Bend Food Bank with presenting sponsor IHMVCU announced a new Quad-Cities initiative aimed at amplifying River Bend’s Student Hunger Drive and addressing the growing food insecurity in our region.
“I’m excited to announce today the launch of Million Meals Match, an effort aimed at raising another 1 million meals or $200,000 for individuals in our community experiencing hunger,” said Jayna Gallagher, River Bend Food Bank community engagement manager. “Annually thousands of students collect funds and food as part of the Student Hunger Drive and Million Meals Match is a way Quad Cities’ leaders and businesses can stand alongside those dedicated students.”
Community supporters gathered Monday at IHMVCU’s headquarters for the launch event. Along with remarks by Gallagher, attendees heard from Million Meals Match Ambassadors including IHMVCU Business Development Officer Pat Angerer, Dave Heller, owner of the Quad Cities River Bandits, and Micaela Booth, director of Birdies for Charity at John Deere Classic. More than 10 dedicated ambassadors have already signed on to champion Million Meals Match by leveraging their networks to raise awareness and funds.
“IHMVCU is proud to expand our long-standing partnership with River Bend Food Bank to support Million Meals Match,” said Angerer. “IHMVCU is dedicated to our community, and we’re honored to be among the leaders and supporters helping to launch Million Meals Match to address hunger in the Quad Cities and beyond.”
Since 1986, students engaged in River Bend Food Bank’s Student Hunger Drive have raised over 19 million meals. Funds and food raised during the drive support the programs that distribute food to 400+ hunger-relief partners across River Bend’s 23-county service area.
The 39th annual Student Hunger Drive kicks off Sept. 29 and concludes at the warehouse on Nov. 6 with a Finale Rally. Both events are held at River Bend’s Davenport warehouse. In addition to Million Meals Match ambassadors, Monday’s event included remarks by River Bend President and CEO Chris Ford about how River Bend is anticipating the impact of SNAP reductions and other legislative changes.
“We know today 1 in 8 adults and 1 in 6 kids are missing meals in our region,” Ford said. “River Bend is making proactive changes because we expect more people to be food insecure due to the elimination or reduction of key programs. It’s essential we have the support of our community as we navigate these challenging times so that we can feed more individuals quickly in the most sustainable way.”
“Annually thousands of students collect funds and food as part of the Student Hunger Drive and Million Meals Match is a way Quad Cities’ leaders and businesses can stand alongside those dedicated students.”
Jayna GallagherRiver Bend Food Bank Community Engagement Manager
Ford shared information about recent River Bend strategic changes, including:
- Transitioning from the backpack program to school pantries to deliver more food to kids and families at a fraction of the cost.
- Using Link2Feed software to collect household data to determine the root causes of food insecurity and using that information to respond proactively with community resources.
- Launching the Core Collective Fundraising Model, with successful pilots in Galesburg and Dubuque. River Bend raises funds on behalf of Core Collective members to ease the burden on small volunteer-led pantries.
“We know feeding our neighbors takes a community and we’re grateful to our Million Meals Match ambassadors, IHMVCU and all of our regional partners for helping River Bend deliver on our mission of feeding people today and ending hunger tomorrow,” said Ford.
Individuals interested in becoming a Million Meals Match ambassador or helping this year’s Student Hunger Drive should contact River Bend Food Bank Community Engagement Manager Jayna Gallagher, jgallagher@riverbendfoodbank.org, (563) 345-6490 ext. 2090.
