When you think about donations to food banks, you may not think of eggs! That’s why one non-profit organization is stepping up the efforts to get more eggs—and more protein to those in need.
“We talk about, ‘Two eggs in the morning—change a day, change a life.’ That’s really impactful when you think about children having full bellies with protein,” says Danny Leckie (shown above at left), Executive Director of HATCH For Hunger, which is based in Carmel, Indiana.
The organization first started in 2015 with one simple goal in mind.
“We help take eggs from farms and we get them delivered directly to food banks and food pantries,” says Leckie. “We’ve now since expanded into a national reach of 60 food banks in 23 states.”
“We have eggs that are donated from our great partners at MPS Egg Farms and Rose Acre Farms. We also purchase eggs from those farms as well. In doing that, we’re able to get eggs at a discount at or below the budget of the food pantries and food banks to help maintain a reliable supply of protein for their neighbors that they serve,” says Leckie.
Today, HATCH For Hunger serves several food banks across Michigan through Forgotten Harvest.
When it comes to specific food items to fight hunger issues across the U.S., you may be asking—why eggs?
“Eggs are one of the most versatile proteins on the market and so very universal,” according to Leckie. “Eggs provide a lot of things that food banks and food pantries actually look for. It’s a great first food, and that’s what we think about every day—how we can help impact the lives of children, adults, and the elderly and make sure that they have bellies full of good healthy nutritious protein.”
Bob Krouse (shown above at right) is Chairman of the Board for MPS Egg Farms in North Manchester. He says partnering with HATCH For Hunger makes it much easier for his company to donate eggs to those in need.
“It was difficult to get eggs to food banks because of the refrigeration. We also like to deliver semi loads of products, and the food banks aren’t equipped for that kind of quantity. There was always this disconnect about getting more eggs out, but it’s not easy to do. The system just isn’t built for it,” according to Krouse.
“It was a great combination of a strong group that are looking for ways to get more protein to more people—and HATCH For Hunger is the way that we’ve been able to make that happen,” says Krouse.
For more information on how you can help HATCH For Hunger, visit hatchforhunger.com.
Click BELOW to hear C.J. Miller’s news report and interviews with Danny Leckie, executive director of HATCH For Hunger, and Bob Krouse, Chairman of the Board with MPS Egg Farms.
