Allegan County Community Foundation 'spreading the love' with ninth annual peanut butter drive

Friday is a holiday many might not have heard of before, but National Peanut Butter Day is a celebration important to food pantries across Allegan County.

For the third year running, the Allegan County Community Foundation will host its Milk and Cookies kick off 2-4 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24, at its offices, 112 Locust St., Allegan. Cookies from Mae’s Bakery in Plainwell will help “spread the love” and help make a meaningful impact on families in need across Allegan County.

“We just tried to come up with a fun way to kick off the drive and who doesn’t like milk and cookies?” says Lauren Hunt-VanderPloeg, a community impact officer with the Foundation.

Courtesy Allegan County Community FoundationFriday will mark the third year the Allegan Coummunity Foundation has kicked off its annual peanut butter drive for area pantries with a Milk and Cookies event.

Attendees are encouraged to bring in jars of peanut butter as the Community Foundation kicks off their ninth annual peanut butter drive.

The foundation will be collecting peanut butter, other nut butters, canned tuna and chicken and other proteins through Feb. 28. The annual drive is not just about peanut butter. It's about community, connection, and spreading the spirit of giving. 

Donating anything is helpful, but monetary donations are able to be stretched further with community partnerships that allow the Foundation to buy in bulk at a cheaper rate, Hunt-VanderPloeg says.

The Community Foundation uses monetary donations to bulk buy protein such as nut butters, canned tuna and canned chicken. Last year, donations were used to buy 1,600 jars of peanut butter, canned tuna and chicken.

The Allegan County Food Pantry Collaborative consists of 18 food pantries across the county. Each month, more than 6,200 individuals rely on the pantries to supplement their nutrition.

Courtesy Allegan County Community FoundationAn Allegan County vocational class collected 1,275 jars of peanut butter for the Allegan County Community Foundation peanut butter drive last year.

Drop-off sites

The Community Foundation’s website lists all of the more than 80 businesses, organizations, and churches that serve as drop off locations across the county.

“Protein is something that is often not donated. (Donations) are often canned or boxed foods that don’t have a lot of protein. Protein is an important part of any healthy balanced diet,” says Hunt-VanderPloeg. 

Courtesy Allegan County Community FoundationStacks of peanut butter await pickup after last year's Allegan County Community Foundation peanut butter drive.

Peanut and other nut butters are a plant-based and shelf-stable protein accessible to many different kinds of people. 

“Kids and adults love it, so that’s another bonus of peanut butters and nut butters,” Hunt-VanderPloeg says. “Protein is something that is often lacking, and it is an essential nutrient.”