PITTSTON — Got milk? Many struggling families don’t.

And according to Feeding America, there is a nationwide shortage of the product at food banks.

Weis Markets hopes to help close the “milk gap” locally through its participation in the Great American Milk Drive. The company partnered with CEO Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank to arrange the donation of 3,800 gallons of milk from the company’s Sunbury dairy. Over 20 volunteers from Weis Markets were on hand Wednesday morning to help unload the milk donation at the food bank’s Pittston-area site.

Dennis Curtin, director of public relations for Weis Markets, believes this initiative is timely and crucial.

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“It’s the holiday season and we know that in this region one in six people live in food insecure households,” he said.

Every September, Weis Markets collects donations from customers as part of a program called Fight Hunger. The company then makes its own donation, like the 3,800 gallons of milk donated Wednesday.

“Our customers have been incredibly generous in terms of donating to our various programs,” Curtin explained. “At the same time, they want to know that we’re not just the collector, we’re also in there rolling up our sleeves and giving donations.”

The donated milk will be stored briefly at the food bank and distributed to its affiliated programs. Gene Brady, executive director of Weinberg Food Bank, believes the donation will have a great impact.

“We will be able to provide our programs with fresh milk, which is very important for growing children,” said Brady. “This is a wonderful benefit because it’s such a large donation and will have an immediate impact on families that are struggling.”

The volunteers from Weis Markets included managers from each Weis location in the district as well as District Manager Mark Detwiler.

“We have a group of customers that patronize us on a daily basis, so for us to be able to come in and give back to our communities is very important,” said Detwiler. “It’s something that we would like the community to know we take pride in, because we take pride in the community as well.”

Mark Detwiler, regional district manager for Weis Markets, center, stands with some of his regional store managers at CEO Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank near Pittstonprior to Weis donating 3,800 gallons of milk to the food bank.
https://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_CEO1.jpg.optimal.jpgMark Detwiler, regional district manager for Weis Markets, center, stands with some of his regional store managers at CEO Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank near Pittstonprior to Weis donating 3,800 gallons of milk to the food bank. Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

Dennis Curtin, public relations for Weis Market, addresses over two dozen Weis Market store managers helping unload nearly 4,000 gallons of milk at CEO Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank near Pittston on Wednesday.
https://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_CEO2.jpg.optimal.jpgDennis Curtin, public relations for Weis Market, addresses over two dozen Weis Market store managers helping unload nearly 4,000 gallons of milk at CEO Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank near Pittston on Wednesday. Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

Weis Market manager Carrie Snyder, center, hands Weis regional district manager Mark Detwiler a case of milk in an assembly line Wednesday. Weis donated 3,800 gallons of milk to CEO Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank to help close the local ‘milk gap’ for the poor.
https://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_CEO3.jpg.optimal.jpgWeis Market manager Carrie Snyder, center, hands Weis regional district manager Mark Detwiler a case of milk in an assembly line Wednesday. Weis donated 3,800 gallons of milk to CEO Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank to help close the local ‘milk gap’ for the poor. Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

Weis Market store managers help unload a truckload of donated milk at the CEO Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank near Pittston.
https://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_CEO4.jpg.optimal.jpgWeis Market store managers help unload a truckload of donated milk at the CEO Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank near Pittston. Tony Callaio | For Times Leader

Weis Market managers, from left, Lea Tamarack, Phil Gely, Kevin McLaughlin and Ron Heffner unload a pallet of milk donated to CEO Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank on Wednesday.
https://www.psdispatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/web1_CEO5.jpg.optimal.jpgWeis Market managers, from left, Lea Tamarack, Phil Gely, Kevin McLaughlin and Ron Heffner unload a pallet of milk donated to CEO Weinberg Northeast Regional Food Bank on Wednesday. Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Market chain donates 3,800 gallons to Weinberg Food Bank

By Connor Moffitt

cmoffitt@timesleader.com