Organization delivers chickens to food bank

Thanksgiving chickens will be available to Second Harvest agencies Monday.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Local volunteers from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans unloaded 1,863 frozen chickens at Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley for distribution to the area's hungry during the Thanksgiving Day season.
Thrivent, a nonprofit financial services organization, purchased 25,000 turkeys and 37,000 chickens from the national Turkeys 4 America program, and is distributing the poultry for hunger relief in 19 states.
The Perdue Farm chickens arrived at Second Harvest of Mahoning Valley Friday morning, and will be available to the food bank's 200 affiliated agencies beginning Monday, said Michael Iberis, Second Harvest executive director.
Among the volunteers unloading the chickens were about a dozen members of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Cortland helping to sort food.
Among the benefits of volunteering at Second Harvest is helping hook people up with the food they need, said the Rev. Duane Jesse, pastor at Prince of Peace.
"We are deeply appreciative of Thrivent Financial's generous contribution," said Rebecca Martinez, director of resource development for Second Harvest.
"Sadly though, even with Thrivent's gift, thousands of area families will not have the joy of sharing a meal with their families," said Martinez.
Growing need
The need continues to grow. As the economy slips and people's money does not go as far, more and more end up at the food pantry at the end of the month. Senior citizens is the fastest growing group in need, she said.
According to Second Harvest, which distributes food to hunger agencies in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana Counties, one in four people in line at a soup kitchen is a child.
Martinez said 23,960, or 17 percent of children in the tri-county area live in poverty; and 39 percent of emergency food recipient households have at least one adult working.
Second Harvest distributes some 20,000 pounds of food a day, and distributed 4.3 million pounds of food in 2005, Martinez said.
Second Harvest is funded by gifts from individuals, corporations, foundations, special events and the Youngstown/Mahoning Valley United Way. For more information on hunger in the community and how to help alleviate it, contact Second Harvest at (330) 792-5522.