KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Alsco Knoxville branch of Alsco, Inc., the premier linen and uniform services company, recently donated to the Scarecrow Foundation. The Alsco Knoxville branch applied for and received a nonprofit gift/grant through the Steiner Foundation, which Alsco created in 1969 to allow Alsco branches to become involved in and support various nonprofit charities and projects in their local communities.
The Scarecrow Foundation started in 2010 with the mission to help end hunger in Knoxville as well as America. “The vast majority of nonprofits supporting the hunger issue do a great job, but many do not have the organizational infrastructure when it comes to marketing their cause,” said Jimmy Buckner, executive director of the Scarecrow Foundation. “The Scarecrow Foundation acts like a marketing arm for food pantries and hunger organizations to further advance their ministries and good works. Now that we have achieved a solid support network locally, our aim is to do so nationally.”
The Scarecrow Foundation will be launching a national campaign in the coming months called XHunger.com. The campaign’s intent is to motivate Americans to locate a pantry, understand the pantry’s purpose, and volunteer to support the pantry.
“For me, it simply comes down to the fact that no one in America should ever go to bed hungry,” said Tony Iasiello, general manager of Alsco Knoxville. “I am very grateful to be involved with such an impactful and inspirational organization as the Scarecrow Foundation. We are excited that we are able to donate to this mission thanks to the Steiner Foundation and know that this donation will help the upcoming XHunger.com campaign.”
For many years, Bill Perry, sales consultant at Alsco Knoxville, provided insight as a volunteer regarding the pantry run out of his church. He experienced firsthand how difficult it is, even on a small scale, to maintain the awareness necessary to consistently keep volunteers engaged in supplying food supplies to the pantry and distributing them to those in need. “It’s been amazing watching how the Scarecrow Foundation has grown from a handful of volunteers with an idea to what it has become today and what its vision is going forward,” Perry said.
About the Scarecrow Foundation
The Scarecrow Foundation is committed to helping end hunger in America. Through this shared passion in purpose, together we will develop and communicate creative ways to bridge the technological and new media-marketing gap. We also offer an ideal platform for many to connect their solutions to hunger with those who can volunteer and contribute time, talents and other considerable resources, which will result in connecting successful hunger solutions to those in need.