Spring is here and that means flowers are in bloom, the sun is shining and lawyers are gearing up for the Food From the Bar campaign.
Each May, the Washington, D.C., legal community competes in the Food From the Bar campaign to support the Capital Area Food Bank’s hunger relief efforts.
Since 2008, Food From the Bar has raised the equivalent of more than 1.5 million meals for children, families and seniors at risk of hunger in the Washington metro area. Last year’s campaign raised a record $130,000 for the CAFB.
This year’s campaign is set to be the biggest yet. “There are more lawyers per capita in D.C. than any other city in the U.S., so the legal community has an opportunity to have a significant impact on hunger in our region,” said Carl Vacketta, retired partner at DLA Piper, CAFB Board Secretary and honorary chairman of the 2015 campaign. “This year we’re hoping to reach an unprecedented scale by raising $200,000 for the campaign.”
The campaign is already well on its way to meeting this ambitious goal – almost two months before the kickoff, 30 firms have already pledged a total of $131,000.
This year, firms have more tools to help their team to be successful. Teams can fundraise through the food bank’s new in-house crowdfunding platform. Three volunteer opportunities throughout the month allow lawyers to take their engagement with the campaign one step further by donating time distributing food at client-direct programs and packing and sorting food at the CAFB’s Northeast distribution center. The National Law Journal, Legal Times and Washington Business Journal provided support by running ads to encourage firms to register for the campaign.
Funds from the campaign come at an opportune time in June to raise awareness about childhood hunger. Each year, the food bank sees an increased need during the summer months when students are out of school and do not have access to school meals.