With just a day remaining in the “45K Fighting Hunger Together” Challenge, the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County is relying on the entire Santa Barbara County community to vote on Facebook this Monday and Tuesday.

The Foodbank has just announced the “1,000 Votes Campaign,” a final push asking the community to vote on Facebook and spread the word with the goal of getting 1,000 more votes before the Tuesday 9:59 p.m. deadline. With these votes, the Foodbank can bring new funding into Santa Barbara County for its Picnic in the Park children’s meal program.


Here’s how the community can help the Foodbank win with just a few “clicks”:

» Vote on Facebook Monday and Tuesday (you can vote once a day): In order to cast your daily vote, you must “allow” the Walmart voting app; you can delete the app after Tuesday. Click here to vote.

» Attend the live “voting rally” from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday: Stop by the Foodbank administrative offices and join volunteers and staff for a live voting rally, at 1525 State St., Suite 100 in Santa Barbara. Light refreshments will be provided. The entire community is encouraged to come, bring friends and help win the critical funds for Santa Barbara County children.

» Vote live at the Tuesday Santa Barbara Farmers Market: Watch for volunteers in Foodbank T-shirts who will help you vote from an iPad or from your own smartphone.

Forty of the 120 food banks competing in the contest will each receive $45,000 from Feeding America and Walmart’s “Fighting Hunger Together” Challenge. Our Foodbank must be among the top 40 total votes, but on Monday, the Foodbank has slid down out of the running to No. 44. To ensure that the Foodbank gets back and stays among the top 40, Foodbank is asking the community to help with this final push of votes. Foodbank is about 130 votes away from being in the top 40 and are seeking 1,000 votes to secure the win!

The Foodbank needs this funding to support its Picnic in the Park Summer Food Program; to help ensure that the Foodbank can provide more than 35,000 nutritious lunches needed for 2,500 local low-income children this summer (more than 700 meals per day throughout Santa Barbara County). For many children, these lunches may be their only nutritious meal of the day. Click here for more information.

— Danielle Deltorchio is a publicist representing the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County.