Hopelink Kicks Off Annual Campaign to 'End Summer Hunger'

Redmond-based  is asking for the community's help in its annual "End Summer Hunger" food drive campaign.

The effort will take place between now and August and involve local businesses, organizations, schools and individuals. Last year's campaign brought in 3.5 million pounds of food to assist more than 18,000 people, according to a Hopelink news release.

Here is some additional information from Hopelink:

The campaign bridges the gap in regular healthy daytime meals when kids are not in school and the subsidized programs are not available. This year, nearly 16,000 children in north and east King County will risk going hungry when the bell rings for summer vacation.

The proceeds from End Summer Hunger will stock Hopelink’s five food banks for the high-demand demand summer months. In 2011, the End Summer Hunger campaign raised more than $180,000 in addition to thousands of pounds of foodthat benefited hundreds of families. 

Hopelink President and CEO Marilyn Mason-Plunkett said End Summer Hunger is a key component of the agency’s broader mission to help people in the community become self-sufficient.

“The summer months can be a particularly difficult time for working parents, who often need to pay for summer daycare on top of their already tight budgets,” Mason-Plunkett said.

For information on how you can become involved in the End Summer Hunger campaign, click here to go to Hopelink's website.