GOOD NEWS: Bucks County Continues to Knock Out Hunger

A community driven effort to fight food insecurity in Bucks County surpassed it’s initial fund raising goal by a total of $15,200.

Bucks Knocks Out Hunger (BKO Hunger) worked together with the community in recent weeks to collect money that will go towards relieving food insecurity in Bucks County.

According to the press release, as of June 20,2014, when the food packaging event took place, the project was still short of the goal by $16,000. After the event, a “surge” of generousness from Bucks residents helped the project to reach it’s goal. One donor, who wished to remain anonymous, donated $15,000 to the cause.

BKO had an original goal of raising $55,000. By the end of the drive, the project raised $70,200. According to a press release put out by United Way of Bucks County, there were preplanned divisions that the raised money would be spent on.

The divisions, as according to an official press release, are as follows; “$25,000 was earmarked to provide 100,000 prepackaged, shelf stable meals, $12,000 to secure 30,000 pounds of produce, $8,000 to Rolling Harvest Food Rescue to obtain additional produce from local farms, and $10,000 to Bucks County Opportunity Council to secure lean proteins and other perishable items to pantries when donations are low.”

According to the press release, the additional money raised will go towards helping local pantries.

The amount of money raised is described as “incredible” by United Way of Bucks County CEO, Jamie Haddon. Haddon notes that, because the number of families in the county needing food is so high that the donations will likely be used up much more quickly than many people would believe.

“There’s no doubt that the full $70,000 will be put to good use,” said Haddon.

BKO Hunger can also now be selected on the United Way pledge form, so residents donating now have to option to donate to the cause during workplace campaigns. Pledges given in this capacity will help with the infrastructure of the program, according to the official press release.

This year was Bucks Knocks Out Hunger’s second year. The project is the culmination of many including the Bucks County Opportunity Council, the Bucks County Housing Group, Rolling Harvest Food Rescue, and the sponsor, First Federal of Bucks County.

The third annual annual BKO Hunger food packing event is scheduled for July 24, 2015.