Newswise — The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT), headquartered in Chicago, partnered with the Greater Chicago Food Depository during its 2010 Annual Meeting & Food Expo to pack food for distribution to local families. IFT members, staff and conference attendees supported its hometown and host city by donating time, energy and money to the Greater Chicago Food Depository (a member of the Feeding America network).
For many years, IFT has donated surplus food products from its Annual Meeting and Food Expo exhibit floor to local food banks in cities where the show is held. In addition to encouraging cash donations from members at meeting registration, IFT arranged three sessions when attendees could volunteer their time and labor to sort and pack donated items at the Chicago food bank. A total of 63 IFT volunteers packed 720 cases of emergency food, 4,000 pounds of bread and bagels and 1,640 bags of weekend snack bags for individuals and families during the Annual Meeting. This is the third year that IFT and Feeding America have joined forces to help combat hunger.
"IFT is proud to partner with the Greater Chicago Food Depository to work to end hunger in our community. Part of IFT's mission is to ensure a safe and abundant food supply contributing to healthier people everywhere, which is exactly what the Greater Chicago Food Depository exemplifies," said IFT's Executive Vice President Barbara Byrd Keenan.
The Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago's food bank, is a nonprofit food distribution and training center providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in the community. Close to 500,000 people each year rely on emergency and supplemental food provided by the Food Depository and its member network of 650 food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters. By volunteering during the annual conference, IFT members worked to advance IFT's mission of providing safe, plentiful and nutritious food to those in need.
Next year's Annual Meeting & Food Expo will be held in New Orleans June 11-15, 2011, and IFT will once again continue this volunteer program. For more information, visit http://www.am-fe.ift.org/cms/?pid=1000572
About IFTThe Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) is a nonprofit scientific society. Our individual members are professionals engaged in food science, food technology, and related professions in industry, academia, and government. IFT's mission is to advance the science of food, and our long-range vision is to ensure a safe and abundant food supply, contributing to healthier people everywhere.
For more than 70 years, the IFT has been unlocking the potential of the food science community by creating a dynamic global forum where members from more than 100 countries can share, learn, and grow. We champion the use of sound science across the food value chain through the exchange of knowledge, by providing education, and by furthering the advancement of the profession. IFT has offices in Chicago, Illinois, and Washington, D.C. For more information, please visit ift.org.
RSS