Weight Loss Challenge to Benefit Second Harvest Food Bank

Youngstown – NBC’s “The Biggest Loser: Couples,” General Mills, Subway, and Feeding America food banks, including Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley, are partnering on a national initiative encouraging Americans across the country to lose weight and help raise funds for their local food bank.  For every pound a resident of the Mahoning Valley pledges to lose on www.pfpchallenge.com, Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley will receive 11 cents.  Last year, the Challenge raised $2,068 which enabled the Food Bank to distribute $31,020 worth of food in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

In its third year, the Pound For Pound Challenge re-emerges at a crucial time. According to the most recent statistics from the United States Department of Agriculture, roughly 50 million people in the United States went hungry at some point in 2009. In 2010, Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley distributed 8.3 million pounds of food in the tri-county area, providing food to nearly 12,000 people each week.

“Hunger continues to be a daily struggle for millions of families across America,” said Vicki Escarra, president and CEO, Feeding America. “By simply participating in the Pound For Pound Challenge, Americans can help support our network of more than 200 food banks with much needed groceries.”

“The Pound for Pound Challenge brings much needed resources to the Mahoning Valley,” said Michael Iberis, executive director, Second Harvest Food Bank. “The support from this community is unlike any other, and we hope that the residents of this Valley will once again step up to the challenge to help feed our hungry friends and neighbors.”

The Pound For Pound Challenge will secure up to 9.4 million pounds of groceries on behalf of local food banks nationwide. For every pound Americans pledge to lose, a donation of 11 cents, equivalent to one pound of groceries, will be donated to a Feeding America food bank based on where the challenger lives.  New this year, participants can enter the Challenge by pledging to maintain their current weight for a contribution equal to five pounds of weight loss. Additionally, this year marks the introduction of a team option on www.pfpchallenge.com. In the spirit of NBC’s “The Biggest Loser: Couples,” teams can compete online and will be ranked nationally.

To join the Pound for Pound Challenge, simply visit www.pfpchallenge.com and pledge pounds!  Remember, if you do not need to lose weight, you can still help by pledging to maintain your weight, which will trigger a five pound pledge to the Food Bank.  If you have questions or would like additional information, please call Becky Miller at 330.792.5522 ext. 14.