The Christian & Small food drive donation program is featured in the current Spring 2013 Primerus 180 publication in their Community Service spotlight.
The program was the brainchild of Duncan W. Manley who recognized there are food needs in our community year-round, not just during the holidays. He began by asking Christian & Small staff to bring in a can-of-food a week that would then be donated to the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama. Collection bins were placed throughout the office and regular donations were made every few weeks to the food bank.
Another attorney, Ken Simon, had the idea to leverage his donation by using coupons. He shared this idea with Janna Bearden and Julie Holderfield, super couponers. The rest, as they say, is history.
Janna and Julie came up with a plan to allow everyone to participate. Everyone who wishes to participate pledges a specific amount per week to be withdrawn from their paycheck. Pledges currently range from $5 to $50. The money is deposited into a fund established by the firm. Then Janna and Julie take their coupon skills to purchase groceries and personal care items to be donated to the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama.
To date, Janna and Julie have bought approximately $2,500 worth of products for approximately $800. Their first delivery to the food bank was 461 pounds and wouldn’t fit into one SUV – required two trips.
Larry Logan, executive director of the Community Food Bank, said, “If every business in Birmingham did this, we would be in great shape.” In 2012, the food bank distributed 7.7 million pound of food to more than 460,000 people.
The firm plans to continue these efforts and Janna and Julie hope to expand into school supplies for area students and care packages for the servicemen.