Campaign aims to get milk to local food banks

A campaign is underway that’s aimed at getting fresh milk to local food banks.

Redner’s Markets has partnered with the American Dairy Association North East on a project called Fill A Glass With Hope.

For the month of June, Redner’s shoppers are being asked to round up at checkout. The money will be donated to food banks to buy milk.

Janese Geiss, multimedia communications specialist for the American Dairy Association North East, said milk is one of the most requested items at food banks, but one of the least donated because it is perishable.

“When school is out, and those students who get breakfast and lunch at school are needing those meals at home, we see increased need in the summertime from families,” Geiss said.

There was a Fill A Glass With Hope kickoff event June 8 at the Redner’s Fresh Market outside Lewes.

Customers were given information about the roundup campaign on the way in. On the way out, they could sample a cereal bar and, of course, use fresh milk.

“A lot of things people are receiving at food banks, like cereal, require milk,” Geiss said.

Stephanie Knutsen runs a dairy farm in Kent County, one of 13 dairy farms in Delaware. She said dairy farmers are all about feeding people.

“Milk only takes 48 hours to get from farm to fridge. So, milk is always a very local product, and dairy farmers really care about their community,”  Knutsen said.

Knutsen recently hosted a live virtual farm tour. About 8,000 kids from classrooms around the country got to see how milk is produced in Delaware.

“I think the general population is several generations removed from farming now. We’ve lost that connection to where our food comes from. Doing virtual farm tours are really important,” Knutsen said.