TOWNSQUARE MEDIA JOINS FORCES WITH LARIMER & WELD FOOD BANKS TO FEED NOCO FAMILIES THIS THANKSGIVING

Some 10,000 NoCo Families Will Ask for Help Providing a Holiday Meal

By Paul Donnelly pdonnelly@foodbanklarimer.org
Communications Director
Food Bank for Larimer County

For many, the holidays can be a magical time spent with family and friends. For others, however, the holidays are a time of continued struggle as they try to put food on the table. Townsquare Media is working to change that reality this holiday season by launching its Townsquare Cares – Feeding NoCo initiative.

Beginning November 1^st and continuing through Thanksgiving, Townsquare Media is partnering with the Food Bank for Larimer County and Weld Food Bank to make a difference this holiday season. Through this initiative, Townsquare Media is activating its entire staff, advertising partners, and of course, its listeners to raise awareness about food insecurity in our community and to help feed families this Thanksgiving.

Each year, the Larimer and Weld County food banks receive combined requests for nearly 10,000 holiday meals. The goal of Townsquare Cares is to help provide as many of those meals as possible.

“We were shocked to learn that 10,000 families right here in NoCo will ask for assistance to simply enjoy a holiday meal this Thanksgiving, yet each $25 donation will provide a full holiday meal for a family thanks to the tremendous work done by Larimer and Weld Food Banks and their volunteers,” said Evan Harrison, President of Townsquare Media Northern Colorado. “We are on a mission to rally our community and make a difference this holiday season.”

Through Townsquare Cares listeners can make a donation of $25 that will help the Larimer and Weld food banks to provide a family of four with a holiday meal. Donations can be made by texting ‘NOCO25’ to 50155 or visiting feednoco.org, and Townsquare Media’s station apps and websites.

“We see this generosity so much this time of year,” said Amy Pezzani, Food Bank for Larimer County CEO. “This partnership with Townsquare Media is extra special given how many of our neighbors they can reach with this message. It’s even more special that it benefits both the Food Bank for Larimer County and Weld Food Bank, making it a true community effort.”

“We are grateful for the support of Townsquare Media during their Feeding NoCo initiative,” said Bob O’Connor, Weld Food Bank CEO. “Through the broad influence of Townsquare’s radio stations and online presence, we will be able to reach further into the Northern Colorado community with the important message that our neighbors are hungry.”

In addition to helping feed NoCo through donations, the Townsquare Media team is making an immediate impact by volunteering at both food banks. “We know that food banks need volunteers, regardless of the time of year,” Harrison said. “Hopefully, by having our ten local DJ’s and entire team of 30 jump in and help we are letting people know there are many ways to make a difference in our NoCo community.”

Townsquare is a media, entertainment and digital marketing solutions company with a primary focus on small and medium size markets local communities. Our NoCo brands New Country 99.1, Retro 102.5, 99.9 THE POINT, 94.3 The X, and through a network agreement Power 102.9, home of the Rams reach 150k residents each week with our radio broadcasts and we engage 370k people digitally through our station apps, websites, and social media. We publish more than 25 local news stories daily, produce premium events such as Taste of Fort Collins, and activate audiences daily for our hundreds of local business partners.

Founded in 1984, the Food Bank for Larimer County is the county’s only Feeding America clearinghouse for donated food. An estimated 37,500 Larimer County residents receive assistance through the Food Bank’s programs and partners each year. The Food Bank’s Nutritious Kitchen prepares meals and snacks for children and seniors; the Nourishing Network partners with more than 100 community programs; and the Fresh Food Share pantries provide a client-choice shopping experience for Larimer County residents in need. For more information, visit www.foodbanklarimer.org.

Weld Food Bank is a member of Feeding America and was founded in 1982. Weld Food Bank’s mission is to lead and engage our community in the fight against hunger. We distributed 12.8 million pounds of food last fiscal year through our over 80 nonprofit agency partners and through seven direct service programs which include Kids Cafe, Backpacks, School Food Pantries, Summer Feeding, Senior Outreach, Mobile Food Pantry, and Emergency Food Boxes. On average we serve over 58,000 individuals each year. For more info please visit www.weldfoodbank.org.