April 26, 2010 (Silver Spring, MD) — Little more than a month ago, nearly three dozen organizations in Metro DC rallied to help the Capital Area Food Bank through a slumping spring season. On Wednesday, staff from Silver Spring-based DelCor Technology Solutions hit the road to pick up all the food and money collected and haul it to food bank headquarters for the final weigh-in.
DelCor CEO Loretta M. DeLuca presents the 49 boxes of food collected during the food drive. |
|
Eight hours, 33 stops, 49 (heavy) boxes, and a few thousand dollars later, the results were in. The 8th Annual .org Food Drive—which DelCor sponsors—netted 27,220 pounds. That’s the weight of the largest known African bull elephant (ever).
“To be honest, I was a bit concerned about our ability to pull all that weight,” Loretta M. DeLuca, DelCor’s founder and CEO, said playfully. “Our goal was so much greater than last year that we were unsure about our ability to deliver. We even extended the drive by a week to give participants plenty of time to contribute.
“We started with a goal of 25,000 pounds and a mission to help the food bank restock its shelves,” DeLuca continued. “We really pushed this year, raising our goal by 9,000 pounds and increasing the number of participating organizations. To my delight, and thanks to the incomparable spirit and generosity of the association community, we surpassed that goal.”
DelCor, a local firm specializing in technology consulting for associations and nonprofits, sponsored the .org Food Drive for the eighth consecutive year. Company staff spent all of a wet and weary Wednesday making stops from Gaithersburg to Fairfax to Alexandria, collecting goods donated at associations and companies that serve the association community, then delivering those items to the food bank in Northeast DC.
|
Taking in more than 13.5 tons, they topped last year’s contribution of eight tons—by almost 69 percent. After the final box was weighed, everyone celebrated, including food bank staff.
“We are delighted that DelCor led the way in bringing tons of food to our warehouse. Our bins have been nearly empty for a few weeks now, so the .org Food Drive is timely,” said Lynn Brantley, president and CEO of the Capital Area Food Bank. “What many people may not realize is that, while we value our corporate food donors, they cannot do it alone. It takes community organizations like these to help us address hunger. We are grateful for their generous contribution.”
The food bank is an integral part of the metropolitan community, serving nearly 10 percent of area residents through its vast network of partner agencies and programs. Similarly, associations seek to advance causes that benefit society. Participating in the drive represents one more way that associations can give back to the community at large. |
|
The food bank shelves are nearly empty on the very day that DelCor delivers 13.5 tons of food. |
“The Delcor .org Food Drive is one of our main community outreach events at ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership and we are thrilled with the positive impact of our efforts on the Washington, DC, community,” said Carla Lochiatto, CAE, public policy/APAC manager at ASAE. “Our staff always enjoy being able to make a contribution. It’s a wonderful way of being able to give back and do something positive to help those in need. We are so happy to participate in this important initiative and plan on continuing our efforts with other organizations in the area.”
Including DelCor and ASAE & The Center, 35 organizations participated in the 8th Annual .org Food Drive (a dozen more than last year), extending the food bank’s message and opportunity to contribute to more than 1,700 individuals through the DC area.
Participating organizations:
Aerospace Industries Association
American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases
American Geophysical Union
American Health Lawyers Association
ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership
Association of Fundraising Professionals
Association for Manufacturing Technology
Avectra
Bar-T
Bates Creative Group
The Coulter Companies
Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards
DSK Solutions
DelCor Technology Solutions (sponsor)
Equipment Leasing & Finance Association
Independent Community Bankers of America
Infectious Diseases Society of America
International Association of Movers
LarsonAllen
Licensing Executives Society
Matrix Group International
McKinley Marketing
National Association of Counties
National Association of Wholesalers-Distributors
Novick Group
Olcott Consulting Group
Optical Society of America
Rebuilding Together
Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation
Reinsurance Association of America
Summit Foundation
Summit Marketing
Syscom Services
Tate & Tryon
TMA Resources