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Reading Fightin’ Phils Join CommUNITY First Campaign

by Reading Fightin' Phils

Apr 29, 2020

The Reading Fightin Phils have announced that they are joining MiLB CommUNITY First, a new national initiative developed by Minor League Baseball in conjunction with Feeding America, to raise funds for local food banks and to honor individuals risking their lives on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Presented by FirstEnergy, the R-Phils invite you to support Helping Harvest Fresh Food Bank, the local branch of Feeding America, and help recognize and reward all essential personnel who are helping the community during this difficult time.

The R-Phils fans are encouraged to visit MiLB.com/CommUNITYFirst through May 31 to donate. Once on the site, fans can choose their donation amount and the Reading Fightin Phils as the recipient of their donation to
direct funds to their local community. For every $10 donated, the R-Phils will donate one ticket for a future home game to a local hero throughout this pandemic.

General Manager Scott Hunsicker is proud to have all essential employees; doctors, nurses, farmers, volunteers, sanitation employees, manufacturers, take-out service providers, first responders, grocery store employees, caregivers, cashiers, police officers, health care workers, shelter workers, waste management, truck drivers, and more recognized at the stadium as soon as it safe. “The R-Phils will honor these local heroes at a future Fightin’s game and their free tickets will be provided through your donations to R-Phils MiLB CommUNITY First Campaign, benefiting Helping Harvest. We thank FirstEnergy for sponsoring this community-minded initiative.”

In addition to the tickets, the donations to the HH Food Bank are valued greatly. “Helping Harvest sincerely appreciates the campaign the Fightin Phils will be holding for our food bank. The support of the team, and its fans, is needed now more than ever. Our community is fortunate to have an organization as charitable as the Fightin Phils,” expresses HH President Jay Worrall.

School closures, rising unemployment and rising poverty due to quarantine and extended stay-at-home orders have disproportionately impacted people already at risk of hunger and could result in an estimated additional
17.1 million people experiencing food insecurity in the next six months, according to Feeding America. As the nation’s largest domestic hunger-relief organization with a network of more than 200 affiliates, Feeding America has projected a $1.4 billion shortfall in the next six months alone.

In response, contributions from R-Phils fans and Minor League Baseball will help ensure families and individuals across the country most impacted by the pandemic are fed and cared for during these uncertain times.

Join the campaign to help your local community by donating and selecting Reading Fightin Phils at MiLB.com/CommUNITYFirst and use #MiLBCommUNITYFirst on social media to show your support.

 

About Helping Harvest

Helping Harvest is your local branch of Feeding America. Located in Reading, Helping Harvest provides food assistance in Berks and Schuykill Counties. With 300+ charitable food program partners, including food pantries,
soup kitchen, shelters, after-school programs, Mobile Markets, and senior housing facilities, HH was able to distribute nearly 7 million pounds of food.

For every $1 donated, Helping Harvest is able to acquire $20 worth of food. More than 110,000 people are fed through this program each year. HH is also able to provide fresh produce and other nutritionally-balanced foods to local students. Visit https://helpingharvest.org/ for more information on their involvement in the community, volunteering, donating, or finding food.

About Feeding America

Feeding America® is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States. Through a network of 200 food banks and 60,000 food pantries and meal programs, we provide meals to more than 40 million people each year.
Feeding America also supports programs that prevent food waste and improve food security among the people we serve; educates the public about the problem of hunger; and advocates for legislation that protects people from going hungry. Individuals, charities, businesses and government all have a role in ending hunger. Donate.
Volunteer. Advocate. Educate. Together we can solve hunger. Visit www.feedingamerica.org, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter

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