Chicago, IL – December 1, 2011 – FEEDING AMERICA, the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, and the DreamWorks Pictures movie THE HELP, are joining forces this holiday season to help feed Americans facing hunger. Coinciding with the DVD/Blu-ray release of THE HELP
on December 6, a national donation campaign will run from December 1 to
December 11 to generate food and funds to help feed the 1 in 6 people
in the United States who do not have enough to eat.
"The economic
downturn really hurt American families," said Feeding America Director
of Media Relations Ross Fraser. "As a nation, we need to come together
to help our neighbors who are struggling to make ends meet. The
collaboration between FEEDING AMERICA and the producers of THE HELP is a great example of how we can come together to make a difference."
"The
film's hopeful message of creating change along with its home
entertainment release during the holidays inspired the team here to
reach out and help make a difference in people's lives," noted Jeff
Small, President and Chief Operating Officer of DreamWorks Studios. "FEEDING AMERICA
seemed the perfect fit in that it operates nationally but is focused
locally and housed within the communities it serves and will directly
benefit those in need. We're happy THE HELP can help."
To help put food in the hands of as many people/families in need this holiday season, FEEDING America and THE HELP are asking consumers to please help contribute in one of the following ways.
It's this simple:
* DONATE ONLINE – Every $1.00 donated can help FEEDING AMERICA provide meals eight meals for people in need. People who make online donations at www.feedingamerica.org/thehelp between December 1 and 11 will receive a limited-time $5.00 off coupon toward the purchase of the film THE HELP on Blu-ray or DVD. Touchstone Pictures, the affiliate of The Walt Disney Company that distributed THE HELP,
will provide a matching donation of up to $10,000, with a goal of
providing more than 200,000 meals to families at risk of hunger.
* GET SOCIAL
– Throughout the month of December, Facebook and Twitter fans of THE
HELP will be encouraged to take action in their local communities. THE HELP
Facebook and Twitter accounts will post details about how people can
get involved and ask fans to provide feedback and talk about their local
community efforts/contributions.
* DROP OFF FOOD – FEEDING America and THE HELP
themed food donation boxes will be positioned at local community events
in Manhattan, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Dallas
and Atlanta throughout December. The food collected will be distributed
the local Feeding America food bank. Please consider donating foods
that are most frequently requested, such as cereal, pasta, rice, beans,
canned fruits and vegetables, soups, 100% juices, peanut butter, canned
tuna, chicken or turkey.
Those who would like to stay connected with the FEEDING America and THE HELP program are encouraged to:
* "Like" the Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/thehelpmovie
* Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/#!/helpmovie
Unprecedented Demand For Food Assistance
The
state of the economy is affecting more Americans than any other time in
recent history. The US Department of Agriculture reports that 49
million Americans are food insecure. FEEDING AMERICA
reports a 46 percent increase in the number of people seeking emergency
food assistance through their nationwide network of food banks compared
to four years ago.
For those not living in the five cities where
the food drive takes place, DreamWorks will be doing grassroots and
media awareness campaigns to encourage local community efforts. As well,
you can find other ways to help on TakePart.com/TheHelp, the social
action website sponsored by THE HELP's producing partners Participant Media.
About THE HELP:
The
#1 New York Times best-seller by Kathryn Stockett comes to vivid life
through the powerful performances of a phenomenal ensemble cast. The
Help is an inspirational, courageous and empowering story about very
different, extraordinary women in the 1960s South who build an unlikely
friendship around a secret writing project – one that breaks society's
rules and puts them all at risk. Filled with poignancy, humor and hope –
and complete with compelling, never-before-seen bonus features – The Help is a timeless, universal and triumphant story about the ability to create change. To learn more about the movie please visit, http://thehelpmovie.com/us/.