AARP_Template

							                               OHIO ASSOCIATION OF
                            SECOND HARVEST FOODBANKS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                                                                   November xx, 2010

                     AARP OHIO AND OHIO ASSOCIATION OF SECOND HARVEST FOODBANKS
                           COME TOGETHER FOR STATEWIDE FOOD AND FUND DRIVE
     Over 1.5 million Ohioans, all AARP members, given the opportunity to fight hunger in their own community

Columbus, OH -         In an effort to address Ohio’s growing hunger epidemic, AARP Ohio and the Ohio Association of
Second Harvest Foodbanks are teaming up to fight hunger in AARP Ohio’s Create the Good Statewide Food and Fund
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Drive. The three week food and fund drive begins on November 1 and runs through the 21 of the month, with donations
going directly to each donor’s local food bank, making a difference right where they are needed most: in their own
community.

By becoming involved in the statewide food and fund drive, AARP members are being given the opportunity to make an
impact on the lives of millions of Ohioans who visit Ohio’s emergency food network each and every year. In 2009, over 1.43
million Ohioans visited a food pantry, soup kitchen or shelter in search of food to the supplement their daily nutritional needs,
a number that has steadily increased since the Hunger in Ohio Study was completed last in 2006, by Mathematica Policy
Institute.

“Ohioans understand the impact of hunger because they see it in their communities, their neighborhood and their own back
yards,” says Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, executive director of the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks. “Although the
number of unemployed Ohioans has waged around 10% over the last year, Ohioans still know the value of helping their
fellow neighbor. By becoming involved in the AARP Ohio Food and Fund drive, members of AARP will continue to impact
the lives of fellow Ohioans in ways they can’t even imagine.”

Or

[Insert local food bank executive quote]

Due to the high number of Ohioans who are visiting the emergency food network, food donations are as important now as
they ever have been. Nutrient rich foods, such as peanut butter and tuna, which are high in protein, along with low-salt and
sugar-free foods are extremely important to the emergency food network, as individuals with dietary limitations and
restrictions visit local pantries and kitchens in search of their specific dietary needs.

By donating food items through the food and fund drive, Ohioans are able to help their friends, neighbors and family
members who are in need directly. If individuals are interested in donating funds through the food and fund drive, these
dollars are maximized and food is able to be purchased through the food bank system, allowing every $1 spent to buy the
equivalent of 5 meals for a hungry Ohioan.

Jane Taylor, state director of AARP Ohio says, “Thousands of Ohio’s older adults are making choices between buying food
and purchasing medications. AARP believes that no one of any age should struggle to make the choice of buying groceries
or the medicine they need. AARP’s 1.5 million members in Ohio can play a significant role that will help older adults and
their families put nutritious food on the table.”

Ohioans are being given many options to donate food or funds through AARP Ohio’s Create the Good Food and Fund Drive.
Ohioans are encouraged to visit www.oashf.org and select the “donate now” option or they can visit their local food bank
website and select the “donate now” option. To donate food, Ohioans are being encouraged to call OASHF to locate their
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local food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters any time between November 1 – 21 , 2010. Ohioans are also being asked to
comment on their donation experience and why fighting hunger is such an important task by posting a donation story at
www.facebook.com/AARPOH

To learn more about the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks visit the worldwide web at www.oashf.org or call
614/221-4336
To learn more about [organization] visit the worldwide web at [website] or call [phone number]

To learn more about AARP Ohio visit the worldwide web at www.aarp.org/states/oh or call 866-389-5653.

Contact: Charles Barber, Communications Manager, Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, 614/221-4336 or
614/493-7502 (cell)
       -OR-
Lisa Hamler-Fugitt, Executive Director, Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, 614/221-4336 or 614/271-4803
(cell)

About the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks
OASHF is Ohio’s largest charitable response to hunger, representing 12 foodbanks and over 3,000 member charities
including food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters. In State Fiscal Year 2010, OASHF was able to distribute over 34.6
million pounds of produce and food items to its 12 member food banks throughout Ohio.

About [organization]

About AARP
AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan membership organization that helps people 50 and over improve the quality of their lives.
AARP has offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
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Contact: Charles Barber, Communications Manager for the Ohio Association of Second Harvest
         Foodbanks at 614/221-4339 ext. 439 or 614/493-7502 (cell)

          -OR-

          Lisa Hamler-Fugitt at the Ohio Association of Second Harvest Foodbanks, 614/221-4336 or
          614/271-4803 (cell)