South Carolina Conference Communications

Year-end increases for Society of St. Andrew

feed many more of America’s hungry 

Reponding to escalating need, national Advance hunger-relief ministry

made extra push the last four months of 2008; also has year-over-year increases 

Big Island, VA – While U.S. and world economies were tanking and most nonprofit organizations were pulling back to guard against potential declines in donations, the Society of St. Andrew (Advance #801600) was stepping out on faith.  During the last four months of 2008 this national hunger relief ministry was able to dramatically increase the amount of food it distributed to critical feeding agencies around the nation at a time when their shelves are essentially bare.

In direct response to the escalating need faced by the nation’s hungry and the agencies they reach out to for food, the Society of St. Andrew (SoSA) made a very hard push in the last few months of 2008. 

Nationwide, 91% more food was distributed by the Society of St. Andrew from September through December 2008 than during the same months in 2007 – from 3.7 million pounds in 2007 to nearly 7.1 million pounds in 2008.

When others were cutting back, SoSA was doing more.  The society’s hunger relief programs had increases year over year, as well.  Excess food gleaned in fields and orchards and from packing houses was up almost 25% from 2007.  Bulk loads of potatoes and other produce salvaged through their Potato & Produce Project were up almost 8%.  Overall, pounds of food saved and distributed during 2008 were up nearly 16% – from 20.2 million pounds to 23.5 million.  All this food nourished hungry Americans with more than 70 million servings of fresh produce.

The number of gleaning events and volunteers were also up by healthy amounts.  SoSA conducted over 3,200 gleaning and Potato Drop events throughout more than 20 states last year.  Nearly 31,600 volunteers picked and bagged that food.

“All of this points to a very healthy ministry,” said Mike Waldmann, SoSA’s executive director. “In order to maintain this much-needed increased level of food salvage and distribution we must depend on the generosity of our donors.  There’s an abundance of food out there that, if not redirected to those in need, will go to waste.  How much food SoSA can redirect to critical feeding agencies throughout the year is directly related to how much financial support we receive year in and year out.  And since we can provide a serving of food for about two cents while keeping our overhead expenses well under ten percent, those who give can be certain their contributions will go further with SoSA than with just about any other organization.”

The Society of St. Andrew is a national, ecumenical, Advance #801600 ministry that gleans America’s fields and feeds America’s hungry. It effectively tackles the problem of food waste and hunger in America through its grassroots Gleaning Network, Potato & Produce Project, Harvest of Hope and Hunger Relief Advocate programs, which salvage fresh produce that will otherwise be wasted and donate it to feed the hungry.  SoSA is one of the nation's largest nonprofit suppliers of fresh produce to the hungry.  For more information about the Society of St. Andrew and its hunger relief programs: call toll free 800-333-4597; e-mail: sosausa@endhunger.org; website: www.endhunger.org.