The Community Penny Garden

(FLINT, MI, April 28, 2008) A press conference on Wednesday, April 30, 2008, 10:30 a.m., at the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan in Flint, will kick off the Community Penny Garden program. The Food Bank is partnering with the Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce, WSMH FOX 66, Kettering University, Mass Transportation Authority and several other businesses and local schools to collect $75,000 in pennies from now through September.

Contributions to the Penny Garden will be revealed at the end September (National Hunger Action Month) during the dedication and opening of the Thomas Landaal Food Recovery Center. Landaal was President of Landaal Packaging, and a longtime friend and generous supporter of The Food Bank of Eastern Michigan. He passed away in December 2007. The Recovery Center will hold 26 semi-trailers of food.

The Penny Garden is a structure designed by students from Kettering University’s real SERVICE club, and is located at the Food Bank. Every penny collected will be returned to the community through the Kid’s Backpack Program, Mobile Food Pantries, or Senior Boxes. Everyone in the community is invited to participate—just recycle a gallon milk jug and start collecting. The Penny Garden is open Monday–Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for public viewing or to add your contributions.

Come join us for the press conference on Wednesday and learn more about the Community Penny Garden program. For more information contact the Food Bank of Eastern Michigan at 810-239-4441 or log on to www.fbem.org.