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A Second Harvest truck is parked with a pallet of food donations next to it. Credit: Contributed photo / Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania
(Lehigh Valley, PA) – WDIY’s 2022 Fall Membership Drive provided 14,693 meals to individuals in need through Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania. The cost of the meals was covered through a partnership with Bethlehem-based financial services firm Valley National Financial Advisors.
Through this unique three-way partnership, every $100 that was donated to WDIY during the station’s fundraiser resulted in Valley National Financial Advisors providing the funds to Second Harvest to deliver 21 meals. Second Harvest’s network of agencies which receive meals include food pantries, soup kitchens, shelters, childcare facilities and rehabilitation facilities.
WDIY executive director Greg Capogna said partnerships like this resonate with the station’s listeners. “We’ve shifted away from offering premiums like tote bags and keychains in recent years. Our listeners tell us they appreciate programs that help those in need in our community.”
WDIY has used its Fall Membership Drive to benefit Second Harvest since 2012. To date, WDIY’s Fall Membership Drives have provided over 107,000 meals to Lehigh Valley residents through similar partnerships. Valley National Financial Advisors has partnered with WDIY to cover the costs of the meals since 2017.
“A stronger community is a stronger business for us,” said Matt Petrozelli, CEO of Valley National Financial Advisors about why his business chose to partner with WDIY again. “We’ve been in business for 37 years and Second Harvest Food Bank has been doing a tremendous amount of good to help with the food shortage issues that we’ve had, especially with inflation, COVID and everything that’s happened over the last couple of years. It’s tremendously important that people have access to good quality food.”
Also helping with the meal donations was the estate of Janet Goloub, which doubled the meal impact for contributors on three specific days of the Fall Membership Drive. The estate covered the cost of 1,852 of the 14,693 total meals.
WDIY’s Fall Membership Drive successfully wrapped up on October 28th. The annual drive is the largest fundraiser of the year for WDIY. The drive provides essential funding for the operation of the station.
About WDIY:
WDIY is an award-winning listener-supported public radio station and NPR station based in the Lehigh Valley. The station first began broadcasting in 1995. WDIY airs national NPR programs such as Morning Edition and All Things Considered along with locally-produced news reporting, public affairs programs, and music programs hosted by over 90 volunteers from the community. WDIY broadcasts on 88.1 FM serving the Lehigh Valley and beyond with a translator on 93.9 FM serving the Easton-Phillipsburg area. WDIY streams on the web at wdiy.org, on its app for smartphones and tablets, and through smart speakers.
Information provided to TVL by:
Shamus McGroggan
WDIY 88.1 FM
Development Director
