A project spearheaded by two former University of Wisconsin-Madison students to
raise money for people in need say their efforts have been successful.
Sydney Endres and Mariah Martin began selling 'Support Local Farmers' shirts in
May to raise funds to purchase dairy products for Second Harvest Foodbank of
Southern Wisconsin and Feeding America. Since that time, they have sold over
1,000 shirts and donated over $14,000 worth of food to the charities.
"As the pandemic continues, more families and individuals are facing food
insecurity," Endres says. "Milk is one of the most requested items at
food banks. By donating milk and cheese, we can help fill that need while
helping the dairy industry find more homes for its products."
With the addition of sweatshirts and a new design focused on the donation of
cheese, they hope to raise a total of $20,000 before the holidays.
"We've been overwhelmed with the support of this project from our
families, friends and strangers across the U.S.," Martin said. "Both
Sydney and I have a passion for giving back and this project has allowed us to
do that in a creative way."
The two women say their original goal was to generate $2,000. However, through
social media, word of mouth and the goodness of others they exceeded their
expectations.
Orders are still being taken through November 13 by emailing: mkmartin@uwalumni.com