Vitalia Senior Residences at Stow Recognizes National Food Bank Day

To recognize National Food Bank Day on September 2nd, VITALIA Senior Residences® at Stow will be participating in a canned food drive with a goal of bringing awareness to those that go hungry. As the Culinary Director, I am honored to be a part of this important day, held annually on the first Friday in September.

John van Hengel is credited with starting the first food bank in 1967 to redistribute food and prevent the wastage of groceries by handing it out to the poor and hungry. National Food Bank Day is not only a reminder that no one should go to bed hungry, but also a day to honor those workers, volunteers, and food bank charities who work to distribute food year-around.

We are donating to the Akron Canton Regional Food Bank. I chose this location because I am familiar with their good work, as a lifelong resident of the area. I have long seen the need for so many requiring assistances to feed their families. We will be donating any left-over or near date items to the food bank.

I feel it is important to donate to our local food bank. I have long held the belief that those of us in a position to help those in need bear a responsibility to do so. The fact any person should fear not having enough to eat is a direct reflection on the community at large. A simple fix is to give to the local food bank whenever possible.

Good nutrition is important and the foundation to a happy, healthy life. A strong body leads to a strong mind, and it all starts with fueling the fire.

In the US alone, about 42 million people struggle with food insecurity. Our team is hopeful we can make a positive impact on those numbers by supporting for our local food banks in honor of National Food Bank Day. We will be delivering our non-perishable items on September 2nd and look forward to sharing with you all what a difference we all can make when we give a little.