Local breweries hop aboard the inaugural Hops For Hunger campaign
Courtesy of Sam Fee
Mondays Brewing Co. in McMurray is raising money this month for Hops For Hunger. Each week, the tap room will feature a different brew, and $1 from all sales goes to the Feeding PA campaign.
Courtesy of Sam Fee
Every week through November, Mondays Brewing Co. in McMurray will feature a different brew, with $1 from every sale of that beer benefiting Hops For Hunger.
Courtesy of Sam Fee
Sam Fee, who owns Mondays Brewing Co. in McMurray, said the day before Thanksgiving, $1 from every beer sale will benefit Hops For Hunger. This is the campaign’s inaugural year, and local breweries, including Mondays and Whitehorse in North Strabane, are proud to fundraise to combat hunger across the commonwealth.
The Falls Cut in one of several beers Whitehorse Brewing will feature as a fundraiser this month for Hops For Hunger.
Breweries across the commonwealth are joining forces this month as part of Hops For Hunger, a campaign that supports local businesses while raising money for the nonprofit Feeding Pennsylvania.
“It’s a win-win for everyone,” said Corrinne Foster, community manager at Feeding Pennsylvania. “It’s supporting local but also supporting Pennsylvanians facing hunger.”
Earlier this year, Feeding PA partnered with PA Eats and Breweries in Pennsylvania to craft the campaign. The three organizations are working with breweries across the state to raise money for Feeding PA’s nutrition education, including online recipes and cooking demonstrations using commonly found food pantry items.
More than 20 breweries statewide have committed to the cause, including Mondays Brewing Co. in McMurray and Whitehorse Brewing in North Strabane Township.
“Breweries in Pennsylvania reached out to us,” said Sam Fee, who owns Mondays. “We’re going to do something a little different each week to keep it kind of fresh.”
Fee said Mondays is featuring one Hops For Hunger brew weekly; $1 from every sale of that beer goes toward the fundraiser. The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, $1 from every beer sale at the taproom will be donated to Hops For Hunger.
The first beer on the fundraising list is The Intern, a wheat ale dreamed up by Mondays’ summer intern.
“For me, beer’s the most important thing, but I think that community component of the tap room is just as important,” Fee said. “A big part of that is just giving back.”
Whitehorse is taking a similar fundraising approach, donating a percentage of proceeds from a specific brew’s sales to the cause, while other breweries across the state host several small or put on one large fundraising event.
“Every Saturday, we will have a beer that we feature. A partial proceeds of the beer will go toward Hops For Hunger,” said Susan Walker, who co-owns Whitehorse with her husband, George. “We picked beers that are very popular. I feel that we’ve chosen ones that will make a difference. We’ll be able to donate a decent amount of money.”
Walker said featured beers at both Whitehorse locations – the one along Racetrack Road and another location in Berlin, Pa. – include the best-selling Pious IPA and Falls Cut, an apple, cherry and cinnamon brew.
Hops For Hunger breweries are featured throughout the month on Feeding PA’s website and on Breweries in PA’s website and socials.
Foster said she’s excited about the campaign, and hopes more breweries will hop on board to raise money for Feeding PA.
“It’s really cool,” she said. “We’re still accepting breweries throughout the month. They’re able to join at any time.”
To learn more about Hops For Hunger, or to join the campaign, visit https://www.feedingpa.org/our-programs/hopsforhunger/.