Fighting Hunger in the Lehigh Valley: Local Advertising Agency & Outdoor Companies Band Together During Pandemic

ALLENTOWN, Pa – Recognizing the growing need to address hunger in the Lehigh Valley for families in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Keenan-Nagle Advertising, Inc. has partnered with Adams Outdoor, Lamar Advertising Company and Tri Outdoor, Inc. to help create awareness of the problem and give people a way to help fight hunger in the Lehigh Valley.

Outdoor boards across the Lehigh Valley will encourage members of the community to help feed their neighbors by visiting FeedLV.org and making a monetary donation to Second Harvest Food Bank. Second Harvest was created by the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley (originally naming it the Lehigh Valley Food Bank) in 1982. The Food Bank distributes almost 10 million pounds of food each year to the network of more than 200 nonprofit agencies that distribute food to more than 60,000 people throughout Carbon, Lehigh, Northampton, Monroe, Pike and Wayne counties.

The pandemic has been straining the ability of these nonprofit agencies to meet the growing needs of those who have lost their jobs and need help. With current restrictions in place to prevent the spread of the disease, they are unable to accept direct food donations and are requesting monetary donations instead to purchase the food required. Its buying power enables them to acquire food at prices that are typically lower than wholesale.

“Our team was discussing ideas on what we could do to help address this problem and the FeedLV Initiative came out if it,’ said Paul Leese, Executive Vice President of Keenan-Nagle Advertising. “When we brought the concept to our partners at Adams, Lamar and Tri Outdoor, they were immediately on board and really went above and beyond what we were hoping for with the ad space they agreed to provide. We are really thankful for their generosity.”

“As this builds momentum, we would love to engage other media partners to get involved as well.  The Lehigh Valley is fortunate to have so many great ones that truly care about the communities they serve,” Leese added. “We’re confident that when our community becomes aware of the depth of the problem, they will get involved. Even the smallest donations make a big difference.”

Alan Jennings, Executive Director of CACLV and the staffer who created the Food Bank in 1982, was thrilled by the campaign. “With the problems we see, the struggles too many of our neighbors experience, it’s easy to have a bad day. But good days are made by neighbors helping neighbors and the people of the Lehigh Valley are, by nature, good neighbors.”

According to Second Harvest, every dollar donated allows them to serve six meals to people in need.