HATCH eggs were delivered to food banks after a Twitter contest that raised awareness about the HATCH program.

December 12, 2015

4 Min Read
HATCH the Holidays egg drop to feed families in need

On Dec. 11, 720 dozen HATCH eggs were delivered to Food Finders Food Bank of Lafayette, Ind., and Hoosier Hills Food Bank in Bloomington, Ind., after the two communities participated in a Twitter contest that raised awareness about the HATCH program. With many holiday recipes calling for eggs, their absence in food banks is acutely felt during the holiday season. Not only do eggs make the perfect pumpkin pie, but they are also a source of high quality protein and nutrients.

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HATCH the Holidays is an extension of the HATCH for Hunger program, which already has brought more than 104,000 eggs to food-insecure families throughout Indiana and is facilitating egg donations in grocery stores throughout Indiana. HATCH for Hunger is a program run by Elanco Animal Health, a division of Eli Lilly & Co., that was launched this spring in partnership with Rose Acre Farms and The Kroger Co.

Today, anyone can give to HATCH by donating online at HATCHforHunger.com and all donations go to a local food bank. Thus far, HATCH – with the help of HATCH the Holidays donations – will be giving 412,080 eggs to families in Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Michigan and Ohio this December.

"When we heard about HATCH, we were eager to get on campus and tell more people," said Katie Nobbe, the Indiana University Panhellenic Council Vice President of Community Involvement. "Helping people in our community to have access to proper nutrition, like the quality protein and nutrients eggs have, is a passion for many of our sororities on campus. HATCH the Holidays is a wonderful way we can give back to families in Bloomington this winter."

During this special #HATCHtheHolidays Twitter competition, fans and friends of Indiana University and Purdue University competed virtually over the weekend of the IU vs. Purdue football game in Lafayette to win eggs for their local food bank. The school that received the most tweets that included both #HATCHtheHolidays and the hashtag of their school name won the egg drop. Total number of tweets from the Purdue community were 702, with IU enthusiasts tweeting 407 times. Due to the broad reach of people to whom both universities promoted #HATCHtheHolidays, HATCH decided to thank both communities for their participation with an egg drop for both of 720 dozen eggs.

“One in seven Hoosiers is food-insecure, meaning they do not have access to enough nutritious food,” said Katy O’Malley Bunder, CEO and president of Food Finders Food Bank in Lafayette. “Our food bank serves more than 86,000 residents who currently struggle to know where their next meal will come from. Eggs are a nutritious product that everyone wants, but they are not often found in food pantries. We are so happy that HATCH is working to provide us with eggs for the holiday season and beyond so that we can help families access the nutritious food that they need.”

Food Finders Food Bank and the Hoosier Hills Food Bank will distribute eggs this December to more than 1,800 families from the #HATCHtheHolidays Twitter competition; however, the giving doesn’t have to stop there. For more information or to donate, visit www.HATCHforHunger.com

Since 1981, Food Finders Food Bank, a member of Feeding America, has worked to provide full-service programs that meet the nutritional needs of thousands of hungry families in north central Indiana. The food bank operates programs to cost-effectively secure donated and purchased food to provide food to families in need, and educate the community about the efficient use of food resources. In 2014, Food Finders distributed more than 7 million pounds of food throughout the 16 counties it serves. For more information or to make a donation, visit www.food-finders.org

Hoosier Hills Food Bank collects, stores and distributes 4 million pounds of food annually to nearly 100 partner agencies in six south central Indiana counties. HHFB also operates a mobile food pantry in four underserved communities and a monthly food box program that serves 900 low-income senior citizens. The food bank also works to educate the public about hunger issues. For more information, visit www.hhfoodbank.org

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