By JOANNE L. PAPAIANNI
Move for Hunger, an Asbury Park based 501(c)3 non profit organization, has just won a 21st Century Solutions Grant in the amount of $50,000 from NBC Universal Foundation.
Adam Lowy, founder and executive director of the organization, said the funds will be used for a new pilot program the group is initiating.
“We’re really excited about it, we’re very honored to be among the recipients,” Lowy said.
Lowy said Move for Hunger applied for the grant last year but did not win.
Lowy along with his family, owners of Lowy’s Moving Company in Neptune, founded Move for Hunger. Since its inception nine years ago Move for Hunger has expanded to all 50 states and Canada, with 700 moving companies joining the organization to help feed over 6 million people, Lowy said.
Move for Hunger is a program where moving companies ask their customers to bag up food in their pantries that they do not plan on bringing with them to their new home.
It is an alternative to throwing the food away or having to bring it to the local food bank themselves.
Lowy said the organization is making a difference not only in feeding people but in keeping perfectly good food form ending up in landfills.
“Hunger is a problem everywhere. We are making a difference,” Lowy said.
He said that 17 million kids nationwide regularly go hungry.
Lowy explained that participating moving companies collect the food and bring it to local food banks where they are given a weight receipt for each delivery.
“That is how we keep track of how much food is donated,” Lowy said.
Lowy said Move for Hunger works with community groups across the country, providing information on conducting food drives. They also partner with real estate companies who introduce the program to their clients.
The new project will target apartment complexes.
“We are going to provide bags, educational materials and logistics,” Lowy said.
He said the program was initiated in Seattle two months ago.
“Over the past two month 300 pounds of food has been rescued,” Lowy said.
Move for Hunger has eight employees and several interns, but Lowy said he is proud that 95 percent of all proceeds go into supporting the program.
“We have a number of corporate partners that fund our efforts, but we also receive funding from foundations, individual donors, and fundraisers throughout the year,” said Dan Beams, communications manager.
