Be Valley’s biggest loser

The hungry will benefit from every pound participants lose in the Pound for Pound Challenge.

Staff Report

YOUNGSTOWN — Working on a New Year’s resolution to lose weight?

Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley encourages area residents to join the effort in fighting hunger by participating in the Pound for Pound Challenge.

“People can lose weight and get healthier, while helping the food bank at the same time,” said Rebecca Martinez, director of resource development for Second Harvest.

The Pound for Pound Challenge is a joint weight-loss event sponsored by the hit TV show “The Biggest Loser,” General Mills and Feeding America.

For every pound participants from Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties lose from now until Apr. 27, General Mills will donate 10 cents to Second Harvest.

“The more people we can get involved, the more hungry people we can feed, and that’s always the bottom line,” said Martinez.

Those wishing to sign up for the Pound for Pound Challenge can visit www.pfpchallenge.com and enter their weight-loss goals. The only way to register for the Pound for Pound Challenge is online.

Becky Miller of Second Harvest already registered her weight-loss goal and said it’s really quite simple.

“I made losing weight this year my resolution, and [Pound for Pound] is even more of a motivational factor for me to get healthy and help others,” Miller said of deciding to take the challenge.

After signing up for the countrywide challenge, participants are sent updates on the show “The Biggest Loser” and receive exercise and healthy-eating tips, said Miller.

“I’m challenging the Mahoning County community to sign up because it will benefit them and others,” she said.

The challenge is not only about losing weight, so those wishing to participate without shedding the pounds have another option.

The challenge also encourages participants to purchase General Mills products with the special Pound for Pound seal. For each seal mailed back to General Mills, 10 cents will be donated to Feeding America. The Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley is a member of Feeding America, so the important thing to remember is for all the seals sent from the Valley, that money comes back to the area, Martinez said.

These efforts are a creative and wonderful way of bringing in more funds that otherwise wouldn’t be in the Valley, Miller said.

Last year, Second Harvest provided about 6 million pounds of food to people in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties. Each week Second Harvest services about 9,100 people, and that number continues to grow.

“There’s nothing on the horizon that says things are going to get better in the near future,” said Martinez in terms of how many people need help in the area.