TROY, Mich., (Sept. 30, 2016) – On September 20, 2016, Crestmark was awarded the 2016 Madeline Kafoury Memorial Trophy from Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan (Gleaners) for its successful employee-led food drive and fundraising efforts in support of Gleaners’ 2016 Hunger-Free Summer Food Fight Campaign. Crestmark, which collected 89 pounds of food, and donated nearly $5,000, took the top spot among businesses with 90+ employees, and ranked fourth overall. This contribution represents 4,845 days of meals for kids during the summer.

For Gleaners’ 22nd Annual Hunger Free Summer Food Fight, employees of 44 Detroit-area companies collected 30,077 pounds of food and $50,771 in cash donations, providing kids with meals for 59,092 days. Through matching funds and donations, Gleaners collected enough food and funds to provide more than 329,000 meals to kids in Southeastern Michigan who cope daily with food insecurity.

The Madeline Kafoury Memorial Cup, established in 2007, is a traveling trophy presented each year to the winners of Gleaners’ Summer Food Fight. It is named in memory of Madeline (Maddie) Kafoury who was a long-time supporter of Gleaners.

Crestmark First Vice President Sharmen Hall, who heads Crestmark’s program internally, said, “Crestmark is proud to support Gleaners Community Food Bank and its important initiatives to help alleviate hunger in Southeastern Michigan. It is unsettling to know many children in our area often go without meals, and so it is especially satisfying to be among 44 companies in Metro Detroit that helped Gleaners with this campaign. Gleaners is a great organization, and I really believe in their work.”

About Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan

Everyone wins when hunger is solved. For nearly 40 years, Gleaners Community Food Bank has been “feeding hungry people and nourishing our communities.” Headquartered in Detroit, Gleaners operates five distribution centers in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, Livingston and Monroe counties and provides food to 535 partner soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters and other agencies throughout southeastern Michigan. Gleaners collects 34.5 million pounds of food a year and distributes 79,000 meals each day including providing nourishing food and nutrition education to 84,700 children a year. Every dollar donated provides three meals and 93 cents of every donated dollar goes to food and food programs. Learn more at www.gcfb.org.