Hopelink is teaming up with Groupon Grassroots — the philanthropic arm of Groupon — to help provide fresh fruits and vegetables to local families during the winter months. During a two-week “Best Of” campaign, which began on Dec. 25, every $9 donated to the Hopelink campaign will pay for one month’s worth of fruits and vegetables for a local low-income family.

The Hopelink campaign is one of 40 Groupon Grassroots causes nationwide that will run as part of the “Best Of” series, but is the only one in the Seattle area. Nicholas Guana, Groupon Grassroots campaign organizer, said Hopelink’s success with two previous End Summer Hunger Groupon campaigns was key to the agency being selected for the year-end effort.

“Hopelink fully embraced both opportunities and showcased how a partner organization ideally leverages Groupon’s assets and resources with their own talents and passionate supporters,” Guana said.

“The agency helped pave the way for Groupon Grassroots in Seattle and continues to remain engaged with the Grassroots platform even after the campaigns are finished.”

The winter months can be a particularly challenging time for low-income families. Food bank donations traditionally decline after the holidays, and while local farmers and gardeners provide a bounty of fresh produce in the summer and fall, once crops are harvested for the year, fresh fruits and vegetables are harder to come by. And oftentimes, fresh produce is the first casualty when food bank budgets are tight.

Hopelink’s Groupon Grassroots campaign will enable Groupon subscribers to make a one-time, one-click $9 donation to support the campaign. Each $9 contribution will pay for a month’s worth of fresh produce for a family — including apples, oranges, carrots, potatoes, and onions.

“We’ve developed a very positive working relationship with Groupon. One of the reasons they’ve come back to us is the phenomenal community support. Both of our two previous campaigns were in the top two nationwide in terms of total money raised that week,” said Kris Betker, Hopelink’s public relations coordinator. She noted that Groupon handles all of the details of the campaign and 100 percent of the funds go directly to Hopelink.

“It’s a fun campaign,” Betker added. “Watching the total number of Groupons purchased tick upward, and knowing that each ‘click’ means another Hopelink family will have fresh fruits and vegetables for a month, is very exciting.”

Every dollar raised though the Groupon Grassroots campaign will go directly to Hopelink.

To contribute to the campaign, visit: http://www.groupon.com/deals/hopelink-1

Over the past few years, Groupon community partnerships have raised more than $4.4 million from nearly 200,000 supporters nationwide.