The combined fundraising efforts of Share in Clark County and CenturyLink all across the nation have pulled in a total of $273,712 for Share and the hungry children it feeds.
CenturyLink will present a check to Share, through its charitable CenturyLink Foundation, at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at its Fromhold Service Center, 2306 N.E. Andresen Road, Vancouver.
The telecommunications giant again this year held a “Feed the Children Backpack Buddies Food Drive,” in early June, at hundreds of company locations across the nation; there was also funding from the charitable CenturyLink Clarke M. Williams Foundation.
Martin Flynn, marketing manager for CenturyLink, said the drive’s total match for all beneficiaries nationwide is capped at $1 million. After all local gifts have been tallied, CenturyLink calculates the amounts of the individual matches via a “complicated formula,” he said.
This year’s local match by CenturyLink is $146,624, lifting the final total for Share’s annual spring Hunger Appeal drive to $273,712.
“This year’s hunger appeal raised approximately $48,000 more than last year, which is absolutely wonderful,” said Share executive director Diane McWithey. “With these funds secured, our Backpack Program will be able to offer participating schools as many bags as they request. No limits for the second year in a row, due to the tremendous support of our community and the CenturyLink Foundation.”
Share’s Backpack Program reaches more than 1,900 children at 82 local schools, sending weekend food home with low-income students who receive free or reduced-price lunches at school.
According to the most recent financial information posted on its website, Share’s overall Hunger Response program — the Backpack Program as well as hot meal service and more — cost $871,000 in 2012. It provided 152,500 free meals to hungry men, women and children.
