Foundation will match all donations to CCS

Courtesy photo/CCS

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Catholic Community Services' Joyce Hansen Hall food bank in Ogden is the largest in the region.

SALT LAKE CITY – This year the Feinstein Foundation will be matching all the donations that Catholic Community Services receives during the months of March and April.

CCS is the local affiliate of the national nonprofit Catholic Charities USA. In Utah, CCS helps the poor and hungry through 10 programs, among them the Saint Vincent de Paul Dining Hall in Salt Lake City, which serves up to 2,000 meals a day; the Joyce Hansen Hall Food Bank in northern Utah, which distributes about 200,000 pounds of food a month; and the Immigration and Refugee Resettlement Program, which last year helped 459 people.

This year marks the 16th Feinstein Challenge in which Alan Shawn Feinstein, founder, has committed to match America’s donations to help end the fight against hunger.

Founded in 1991, the Feinstein Foundation is dedicated to the alleviation of hunger, the importance of community service in education and the values of caring, compassion and brotherhood, according to their website.

CCS has been participating in the Feinstein Challenge for a few years, said Danielle Stamos, CCS spokesperson.

Originally, personnel at the food bank in Provo heard about the Feinstein Challenge, which led to CCS being involved, said Stamos. "Also people in the community knew about it and they donated to us specifically for that; they told the foundation that they were expecting that it would be matched."

The Feinstein Foundation will match all donations to CCS, even those that are in-kind, made to CCS this month and next.

"These months are an incredible opportunity for us to match what we receive, and that’s wonderful," said Stamos. "We rely so heavily on donations and our food stocks are dwindling from the holiday months. All the food stock is almost gone, so these Easter donations and all these things are going to get us through the summer months."

Donations may be made at any CCS location during regular business hours.

"We are open and we accept all donations: food, clothes, monetary, anything," Stamos said. "Some people donate furniture for our refugee program for setting their new apartments and we will do the pickup, so they just have to call our main office and schedule a pick up."

Stamos added that she is grateful for those who support CCS. "It’s incredible what the community and supporters do to help the agencies that they know are making the difference and how dedicated they are," she said. "That’s very helpful for us. These past few years we have seen many changes. We have seen more and more families in need than ever, and it’s scary that many people are just a step away from being in a bad situation. They have health problems, they have lost their jobs, houses or some people are just having events in their lives that are not in the control of anyone, and that can really push you over the edge."

More than 50 percent of CCS’ budget comes from donations; the organization’s administrative, advertising and fundraising costs combined comprise 8 percent of the budget.

For information call 801-428-1230. To donate items such as clothing or furniture, call 801-363-7710 or visit the in-kind donations page at www.ccs.org.