Pocketstop helps local Food Bank collect donations for the holidays

Good Will on the Go: Tarrant Area Food Bank Launches Cell Phone ‘Text to Donate’ Program

FORT WORTH, TX (October 19, 2009) – Bo Soderbergh, Executive Director of
Tarrant Area Food Bank, has announced the launch of an innovative program to
appeal to the Food Bank’s increasingly cell phone empowered demographic. The
new program is part of a campaign to get people involved in the Food Bank as
volunteers, donors, and advocates in the fight against hunger.

Cell phone users will be able to donate $10 through the Mobile Giving
Foundation and get information about Tarrant Area Food Bank programs.

“Anyone can get involved by texting ‘TAFB’ to 85944,” said Mr. Soderbergh.
(For the over-40 crowd that means: Dial 85944 and text “TAFB.”) The Mobile
Giving campaign is being promoted on billboards and in print publications.

According to The Mobile Giving Foundation, this process enables a mobile
channel for charitable giving. The Foundation provides the organizational
layer, operational guidelines and technical infrastructure for non-profit
organizations like Tarrant Area Food Bank and its donors to use the power
and convenience of mobile technology.

After the text “TAFB”is entered and sent to 85944 (Mobile Giving’s special
five-digit cell number), a reply to the cell phone user will provide an
opportunity to continue, approve, or opt-out of participating.

All donations are collected through the donor’s cell phone carrier bill,
either by adding the amount of the contribution to the donor’s mobile phone
bill or by deducting it from a donor’s prepaid balance.

The Mobile Giving Foundation collects 100 percent of all donations from
donors’ wireless operators then grants the funds to the Food Bank within a
few months of receipt.

Messages allow for donations or for routing to the web site for other ways
to be a part of Tarrant Area Food Bank’s fight against hunger.

“We hope this innovative, simple approach to getting involved will inspire a
new generation to find out about Tarrant Area Food Bank from their cell
device,” Mr. Soderbergh continued. “We’re eager to find new and exciting
ways to communicate in this tech-savvy world, with all ages, because hunger
knows no age limits.”

Founded in 1982 to collect and distribute donated food, Tarrant Area Food
Bank provides food in 13 counties to emergency pantries, after-school
programs, emergency shelters, senior centers and other social service
centers. This network of hunger-relief charities has seen the demand for
food assistance increase 20 percent during 2009. To learn more about local
hunger and Tarrant Area Food Bank, please visit www.tafb.org
<http://www.tafb.org > .

CONTACT – Tarrant Area Food Bank (www.tafb.org): Andrea Helms,

Communications Director, Ofc 817-332-9177 ext. 120 cell 817-657-9175

OMG! I Cn Txt 2 TAFB 2 Help?