PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A T-shirt campaign to raise funds for COVID-19 relief efforts in Montgomery County has just wrapped up. And, the group behind the effort reports it far exceeded its goal.
Rachel Riley of the Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board said the campaign raised $25,000, far above its $10,000 goal, when the group began selling the #MontcoStrong T-shirts back in the spring.
“We’re not surprised because we know that this community really rallies around each other and we’ve definitely seen that through COVID,” Reilly said.
The money is going directly into the Montco PA COVID-19 Response Fund, which is distributing the proceeds to nonprofit organizations that help the homeless, veterans and those who are food insecure.
Meanwhile, Riley said the Valley Forge Freedom from Hunger Food Drive — an online campaign to collect monetary donations to buy food for the needy — is nearing completion.
“We are looking good to be meeting if not exceeding that goal of 15,000 pounds total (of food),” she said. “Between the spring and what we did in September, another couple thousand dollars and another several thousand pounds.”
Proceeds go directly to the Montco Anti-Hunger Network to buy food to restock 34 pantries across the county.
“Even a dollar helps,” Riley said. “Because the Montco Anti-Hunger Network can get, essentially, warehouse pricing. So what might cost us 50 cent, a dollar at the store, might only cost them a quarter.”