CONCORD, NH ─ The New Hampshire Liquor Commission (NHLC) recently donated $37,500 to the New Hampshire Food Bank, a program of Catholic Charities New Hampshire, to support efforts to eliminate hunger in New Hampshire. Since July 2015, NHLC has collected donations from staff and customers through collection cans labeled with the NH Food Bank logo. The cans are located in the check-out area of all 79 NH Liquor & Wine Outlets. NHLC made the donation, which reflects the total amount raised thus far, on Tuesday, November 8, at the NH Liquor & Wine Outlet on Storrs Street in Concord. NHLC will continue to collect donations on behalf of the NH Food Bank.
“We are extremely grateful for this critical support from the New Hampshire Liquor Commission and its customers,” said Robert Gossett, interim director of the NH Food Bank. “This generous donation will bolster our ongoing efforts to support the more than 139,730 New Hampshire residents, including 41,350 children, who do not know where their next meal is coming from. The NH Food Bank distributes resources to more than 400 partner agencies statewide, without receiving any state or federal aid for distribution. This critical funding will have a major impact on our efforts to get food to those who are most vulnerable.”
In the last three years, NHLC has worked with suppliers and brokers to raise $843,000 for nonprofit organizations making an impact in New Hampshire, including the NH Food Bank, Homes for our Troops, the Animal Rescue League of New Hampshire, Moore*Mart, Easter Seals New Hampshire, Toys for Tots, Granite United Way, Concord Hospital and the Wildlife Heritage Foundation of New Hampshire.
“The New Hampshire Liquor Commission is humbled to be able to make this substantial donation to the New Hampshire Food Bank, which is performing tremendous work across New Hampshire,” said NHLC Chairman Joseph Mollica. “We say thank you to our customers and our staff for their incredible generosity. While NHLC’s primary objective is to deliver record revenues to the New Hampshire General Fund, we are also committed to supporting nonprofit organizations that help make New Hampshire a great place to live.”
The need for more resources continues to grow in New Hampshire as the holiday season approaches. During 2015, the NH Food Bank, which receives no state or federal aid for food distribution, distributed more than 12 million pounds of food, which marks an increase of 55-percent over the past four years. This year, because of the growing demand, the NH Food Bank expects to distribute more than 13 million pounds of food.
For more information and to donate, visit NHFoodBank.org.