Chanhassen Dinner Theatres Host Food Drive To Benefit Minnesota FoodShare
By: Gabrielle Sierra Feb. 24, 2011
In the spirit of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR's themes of giving and sacrifice, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres will hold a food drive for the entire month of March to benefit Minnesota FoodShare. The "Feed My People" Food Drive is part of the unique partnership between Chanhassen Dinner Theatres and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, the theatres' presenting sponsor for JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR.
During this time, audience members will be given the opportunity to make monetary contributions. The focus of the drive is to benefit the communities across the state in which our patrons live and work. All dollars collected from Chanhassen Dinner Theatres' audience members will go to Minnesota FoodShare's March Campaign. Every dollar given to the annual campaign goes directly to 300 local food shelves statewide to purchase food for the hungry. Each year their campaign raises more than half the food distributed, which amounts to more than 30 million pounds of food. Remarkably, for each dollar contributed, food shelves can purchase 4 pounds of food because they have access to a wider variety of sources than individuals do and many of those sources make items available at little or no cost. Monetary donations (as opposed to collecting actual food items) are also easier to collect and deliver, and give the food shelf greater flexibility to acquire much needed perishable items including fresh produce, meat, and dairy products.
The musical JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, written by Sir Tim Rice and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, chronicles the final seven days in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus Christ spent his lifetime giving and teaching others to do the same. He ultimately gave his life that others would come to know His message for all of humanity and follow in His example.
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, the presenting sponsor for Chanhassen Dinner Theatres' JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, fully supports this effort to extend the play's themes of giving and sacrifice. "We hope the audience is moved to share with those who are less fortunate, especially when so many families and individuals are in need of the services Minnesota FoodShare provides," said Stacy Hanley, Director of Community Relations, at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.
Mary Beth Blom, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres' Marketing Manager serves as the food drive coordinator. "I'm excited to chair the effort and am proud that our audiences and employees will be given an opportunity to work alongside Minnesota FoodShare to help in the statewide fight against hunger." Additional sponsors spreading the word about the "Feed My People" Food Drive include media partner WCCO Radio, and Cub Foods.
Blom is excited that Chanhassen Dinner Theatres' 300 employees will participate in the food drive effort as well. Blom stated, "Every week during the month of March our employee food drive collections will specifically focus on those items that are in constant need by the food shelves." This is the third food drive to be held at Chanhassen Dinner Theatres since 2008, but the first time employees will contribute in a concerted effort to the food drive. Culver's of Chanhassen is partnering with Chanhassen Dinner Theatres to reward every employee who meets the challenge! For the employee effort, items collected during March will benefit the CAP Agency, providing food to needy families in Scott, Carver and Dakota counties. In addition, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres' JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR cast members will donate their time to meet and greet audience members as they leave the theatre. The costumed characters will have baskets to collect monetary donations from patrons. Members of the community are encouraged to drop off monetary donations to the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres' box office during business hours. Checks made payable to Minnesota FoodShare will allow those donations to be tax deductible.
GENERAL FACTS ABOUT HUNGER
- In 2010, there were more than three million food shelf visits statewide and 63 million pounds of food were distributed to Minnesota families by food shelves.
- From 2008 to 2009, there was a 25 percent increase in food shelf visits in Minnesota - the largest recorded increase in 28 years.
- In 2010, food shelf usage increased on average 14 percent and in the Twin Cities' suburbs some food shelves reported a 60 percent increase.
- Children still represent about half of those served at food shelves.
- In 2010, almost 14 percent of Minnesota households did not have enough money to buy food.
- Hunger touches people of every age: 56 percent of food shelf visitors are families with children and 20 percent are seniors.
- More than 50 percent of adult food shelf visitors are employed and 65 percent make less than $1,000 a month, not enough income to cover their basic needs.
- Of those who use Minnesota's food shelves, 47 percent of adults and 14 percent of children skip meals because there is not enough food at home.
- From 2000 to 2010, food shelf usage has tripled - from more than one million visits to more than three million visits annually.
Sources: Food shelf reports, (2010); Food Research and Action Center, (2010); Minnesota FoodShare Survey of Food Shelves (2009); Children's Defense Fund Minnesota, (2007); Hunger Solutions Minnesota/Wilder Research: The State of Hunger in Minnesota (2005).
ABOUT CHANHASSEN DINNER THEATRES
Founded in 1968, Chanhassen Dinner Theatres is the nation's largest Equity dinner theatre with multiple theatres under one roof. Over the years, more than 220 productions have graced the stages at Chanhassen, and more than 10,000,000 guests have been entertained. While Chanhassen's Main Stage features large-scale musical blockbusters, smaller theatres showcase classic straight plays, a Comedy Club and a wide variety of musical revues. For more information, visit ChanhassenDT.com.
ABOUT THRIVENT FINANCIAL FOR LUTHERANS
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a not-for-profit, Fortune 500 financial services membership organization helping approximately 2.5 million members achieve financial security and give back to their communities. Thrivent Financial and its affiliates offer a broad range of financial products and services including life insurance, annuities, mutual funds, disability income insurance, bank products and more. As a not-for-profit organization, Thrivent Financial creates and supports national outreach programs and activities that help congregations, schools, charitable organizations and individuals in need. For more information, visit Thrivent.com. Also, you can find them on Facebook and Twitter.
Minnesota FoodShare is just one of a family of community service programs of the Greater Minneapolis Council of Churches (GMCC). Since 1905, GMCC has battled poverty in Minnesota, bringing together businesses, civic groups and congregations to help struggling families remain self-reliant.
Minnesota FoodShare's March Campaign raises the resources to stock food shelves statewide with more than 30 million pounds of food throughout the year. For an informational video about Minnesota FoodShare and the March Campaign, visit mnfoodshare.gmcc.org
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