May 7, 2008

Donate Your Weight and Meet a Challenge to Help Others

Donate My Weight” and Philabundance Partner to Fight Hunger in Our Region

PHILADELPHIA –May 7, 2008 – Philabundance and Ben Miller issued a challenge to the Delaware Valley residents who are interested in weight loss and helping the 900,000 people in the area experiencing hunger. 

Philabundance, the region’s largest food bank and hunger relief organization, has joined forces with “Donate My Weight” creator, Ben Miller in a pursuit to encourage healthy living and fighting against hunger in our region. Philabundance and Miller are extending a challenge to lose weight and donate the total individual weight lost to Philabundance in food or funds. “Donate My Weight” is flexible and is not attached to any diet regimen. Individuals can embrace any weight loss system to achieve their weight loss goals, while helping neighbors in need in the Delaware Valley

The “Donate My Weight” program began in January 2008, when Miller, who weighed 460 pounds decided to lose 230 pounds. Miller also wanted to use his situation to help other by giving the weight away.  He vowed to donate one pound of food per every pound shed to the local Second Harvest Food Bank located in the Lehigh Valley area, where he resides.

The idea has since grown and family members and friends are now sponsoring Miller’s weight loss and adding to the pounds and dollars donated to local food banks. To date, Ben has lost 70 pounds. Since the program’s inception Millers has raised more than $6,172 and 52,454 pounds of food for the Second Harvest Food Bank with the support of family, friends and businesses in Lehigh Valley .

“I hope that by challenging people in the Delaware Valley , we will inspire others to join the “Donate My Weight” team to live healthier lives and help the community in need of food,” says Ben.   “This experience has been extraordinarily fulfilling on so many levels, and I hope other people will become part of this movement”

For more information on “Donate My Weight” and Philabundance challenge, visit www.philabundance.org/donatemyweight

  Philabundance continues to rely on the generous support of all segments of the Delaware Valley community—individuals, corporations, foundations, as well as community groups—to help feed our hungry Delaware Valley neighbors. To find out about food donations of essential items, or organizing a food/fund drive, contact Philabundance at 215-339-0900.

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Philabundance is the region’s largest food bank and hunger relief organization. Working with more than 600 neighborhood organizations in both Southeastern Pennsylvania and South Jersey, Philabundance fights hunger and malnutrition principally by collecting and distributing food to people in need. For more information about Philabundance, call 215-339-0900.