The Notre Dame Alumni Association has partnered with former Notre Dame women’s basketball coach Muffet McGraw, Holtz’s Heroes and Bread of Life Drive to launch “Meals With Muffet,” a month-long, nationwide food drive. Meals With Muffet is open to participation by alumni, parents and friends and runs during September, which is National Hunger Awareness Month.
“During my 33-year Notre Dame career, I urged our players to be champions on and off the court and, since my retirement in April, I have tried to do the same,” said McGraw. “Over the past few months, I’ve worked in the South Bend community to collect 20,000 pounds of food for the hungry. I’m excited to work with the Alumni Association, Bread of Life Drive and Holtz’s Heroes, and I challenge the Notre Dame family to work together and help beat one of our toughest opponents yet — hunger.”
In the United States, more than 37 million people, including 11 million children, are food insecure. The Meals With Muffet partnership hopes to collect 100,000 pounds of food during the month to help Notre Dame’s neighbors in need. The initiative provides a service opportunity for clubs, groups, families and individuals, while still following physical distancing guidelines.
“The generosity and the drive of our Notre Dame family never ceases to amaze me. Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, alumni, parents and friends have found new ways to give back to those in need,” said Dolly Duffy, a 1984 Notre Dame graduate and executive director of the Alumni Association. “Meals With Muffet is a wonderful opportunity to safely work together and continue being a force for good in our local communities.”
Participants are invited to visit mealswithmuffet.nd.edu to register, read best practices for hosting a food drive and log their collections to be entered into a drawing for prizes, including signed basketballs from Muffet McGraw and signed footballs from members of Holtz’s Heroes.
The Bread of Life Drive (BOLD) is an annual food drive organized by the Notre Dame Club of Staten Island. Since 1992, the Staten Island BOLD has collected more than 1,285,000 nonperishable food items and inspired similar food drives by other Notre Dame clubs around the country.
Holtz’s Heroes Foundation (formerly Lou’s Lads) is a nonprofit organization named in honor of former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz and his players at Notre Dame. Holtz’s Heroes is dedicated to providing financial assistance for the educational needs of underprivileged students and supports charitable and educational activities within the communities of its members.
Contact: Erin Blasko, assistant director of media relations, 574-631-4127, eblasko@nd.edu