CONTACT: Kris Tazelaar, Communications Manager, Second Harvest Foodbank,
608-216-7206, krist@shfbmadison.org
MADISON, Wis., October 20, 2015 – Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin announced today it has received a generous $5000 contribution from American Transmission Co. to help support its Mobile Pantry Program in Monroe County, Wisconsin. This is a critical source of food for the 5,580 Monroe County residents who are food insecure; or 12.4% of the population. About a week’s worth of free groceries are distributed to an average of 786 households per month through these mobiles, an increase of 26% over last year.
“Second Harvest Foodbank is grateful for American Transmission Co.’s support of the Mobile Program,” says Dan Stein, President/CEO for Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin. “Because residents of rural communities rely on the food they receive from the Mobile Pantry Program, gifts from supporters like ATC really have a positive impact in the community.”
Through the Mobile Pantry Program in Monroe County, in partnership with a member agency, groceries from Second Harvest Foodbank’s warehouse are trucked to Norwalk, Sparta and Tomah site at a prescheduled time for immediate distribution to residents. The program provides another source of food to families and individuals facing hunger. It also gives Second Harvest a valuable channel to increase food distribution so nutritious, non-perishable foods as well as perishable foods, such as milk, juice, bread and fresh produce, do not go to waste. The Mobile Pantry Program accounts for one-third of all food distributed by Second Harvest in a year.
About ATC
American Transmission Co. is a Wisconsin-based company that owns and operates the electric transmission system in portions of the Upper Midwest. Formed in 2001 as the nation’s first multi-state transmission-only utility, ATC has invested $3.5 billion to improve the adequacy and reliability of its infrastructure. ATC now has $3.8 billion in assets, including more than 9,530 miles of transmission lines and 530 substations. The company is a member of the MISO regional transmission organization, and provides nondiscriminatory service to all customers, supporting effective competition in energy markets without favoring any market participant. For more information, visit atcllc.com.
About Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin
Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin began working with local hunger-relief agencies in 1986. It helps end hunger in 16 southwestern Wisconsin counties through food distribution to its partner agencies, promotion of outside food assistance programs like FoodShare, and raising awareness of hunger. As southwestern Wisconsin’s largest hunger-relief charity it meets nearly one million requests for help each year. From July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015 Second Harvest, together with its partner agencies and programs, provided 12.4 million meals. It is one of 200 members of Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity. For more information, visit SecondHarvestMadison.org.
