The Unity Group announces they have chosen to forgo corporate gifts and instead to use those dollars to sponsor a local farm through the Bellingham Food Bank. This is part of the Farm to Bank program in which corporations can sponsor one of four local farms. The money donated to the farms covers the operating costs of a designated area of the farm which is harvested specifically for the Bellingham Food Bank.
Originally funded by a state grant and the Whatcom Community Foundation, the Farm to Bank project is an integral part of the fight against hunger. Each farm will help produce approximately 8,000 pounds of food which will provide fresh, organic produce for more then 9000 visits each month. That's over 32,000 pounds all together.
To keep this program alive, Bellingham Food Bank's Executive Director, Mike Cohen, is reaching out to local businesses for their support. One of the farms, Growing Washington, was a leading force behind this program and currently provides the transportation services to keep everything moving smoothly. The Unity Group will be paired with Growing Washington in 2012. This partnership with allow families from Whatcom County to obtain the nutritional produce they so greatly need.