MONTROSE, Pa. — What do pennies and dairy cows have in common? During the 2019 Susquehanna County 4-H Dairy Camp, we held Penny Wars between the different teams of 4-H’ers. The 4-H members worked together and brought in pennies and other loose change to help raise money to support Fill a Glass With Hope.
Fill a Glass With Hope is a partnership formed among Feeding Pennsylvania and its member food banks, the Pennsylvania Dairymen’s Association and American Dairy Association North East. They raise funds to enable food banks to purchase fresh milk directly from local dairies to distribute to families in need.
The Pennsylvania Dairy Princesses across the state have pledged to raise funds to support this program. On average, each dollar donated provides eight glasses of milk to those in need. Susquehanna County Dairy Princess Kyleigh Jones and her court have set of goal of raising $500 this year to support the Fill a Glass with Hope program.
Milk is one of the most requested items by families when they visit food banks, but it is rarely available due to its perishability. Milk is naturally nutrient rich. It has nine essential nutrients including protein, calcium, phosphorus, potassium and Vitamin D. These nutrients in milk help your bones stay strong and healthy and also help build strong muscles. Many of the minerals in milk carry out important functions in our body and help keep our body in tip top shape. Therefore, it is important to include milk in your diet every day.
Through the Penny Wars, the 56 4-H’ers at Dairy Camp worked together and raised $243. The Aldrich family of Aldrich Farm, Montrose, Pa., then matched the winning team’s total upping the grand total to $325. That’s 2,600 glasses of milk for our local food bank. The Susquehanna County Dairy Promotion team has a great start on reaching its goal of $500.
If you would like to donate to this project, please contact a member of your local dairy promotion team or contact your local food bank to donate milk. A cold glass of milk is one of the easiest ways to get your three every day servings of dairy products. And remember that July is National Ice Cream Month so be sure to eat lots of ice cream.
— Chelsea Empet
Susquehanna County Dairy Ambassador