Hunger And Health Coalition Presented With Challenge All Donations Matched Through April 30 By Sherrie Norris Just as the winter food drive supplies dwindle to a serious low on the pantry shelves at the Health and Hunger Coalition, Director Compton Fortuna tells us her agency is in the running for a donation-for-donation match by the Feinstein Foundation of Cranston Rhode Island. In a press release from the foundation, Fortuna learned that for the tenth straight year, Alan Shawn Feinstein will divide $1million among hunger-fighting agencies nationwide using it to help them raise funds during March and April, 2007. “Agencies should simply inform their donors that the more of a donation they make to their agency - from March 1 to April 30- the more of the Feinstein money will be added to their donation!” Only donations received between those dates and from use of the Feinstein challenge should be counted, and can include cash, checks and food items (that can be valued at $1 per item or pound) as well as pledges, as long as they were obtained only in response to the challenge. Fortuna and her staff are asked simply to keep a record of what they raised and from whom, should verification be requested. Feinstein’s office states, “Our million dollars will then be divided proportionately among all agencies with a minimum of $250 and a maximum of $50,000. Checks will be mailed from the Foundation by August 1. Feinstein’s past $1 million challenges to fight hunger have raised a record $620 million for agencies nationwide. Fortuna excitedly tells The Mountain Tines that her agency’s donors toward this campaign make them partners “in the most successful grassroots campaign to fight hunger of all times,” a fact in which each can take great pride. “This is a tremendous opportunity for the Hunger and Health Coalition to bring in resources from other states to assist the people we serve locally. As food donations have been dwindling, the Feinstein Challenge could not occur at a better time. We hope this will encourage the community to make donations to benefit the Food Assistance programs we offer.” Fortuna agrees that this would be a perfect time for schools, businesses, civic organizations and families to sponsor a food drive, knowing that each can or box of food that is brought into the Coalition will be automatically doubled by month’s end. For the last nine years, Alan Shawn Feinstein, CEO of The Feinstein Foundation, has been giving away $1 million each year to anti-hunger agencies throughout the country. Why is he doing this? “Because I believe each of us was put here on earth to do what we can to help those in need . . . This has become the greatest grassroots campaign ever to fight hunger in our country. Your donation makes you a partner in it with me! My money started this campaign but it is you who will help decide how many needy people in your city or town will be fed this year. I’m only here to give you some support and to remind you of this: That all that will matter to us someday is what we did while we were here to help those who needed us.” Feinstein encourages donors to give whatever they can. “I will gladly add some of my money to yours. My $1 million will be divided in full proportionately among the agencies receiving donations toward my offer. Thank you for sharing my heart, and the hope that—someday—no one will ever go hungry.” Feinstein, founder of the Feinstein Foundation, is a nationally known philanthropist and humanitarian. He has made an indelible impact on American education and public service that has spread throughout the country. Feinstein believes that “Helping to better the lives of others, regardless of race, creed or color, is the greatest of all achievements.” Feinstein has received numerous awards for his efforts and now his far-reaching generosity has made its way to Boone, for which our community should be very grateful. For more information, contact The Hunger & Health Coalition, Inc.,141 Health Center Drive in Boone, (828).262-1628.; hungerc@bellsouth.net; www.hungercoalition.com