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Salem school to raise money to feed needy
Adults and youths are helping to feed people.
SALEM — The food is for the needy and a challenge for a record is just for fun.
The combined Salem senior and junior high school — teachers, staff and students — is out to raise $150,000 or more in food for local church pantries.
The spaghetti dinner with free movies, titled “Feed Yourself Feed Your Community,” will be Friday at the school.
Ken Peters, an industrial arts teacher at the school, previously has run food drives and is working on the dinner.
“A 96-year-old woman who graduated from Salem in 1932 called to say she wanted to make a contribution,” Peters said. “It’s a big community project.”
Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties are served by the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley.
Mike Iberis, the food bank’s executive director, said that in 2007, Salem’s pantries — groups that distribute food to people — fed 15,500 people.
In 2008, the program provided food to 18,516 people.
“That’s more than a 20 percent increase,” he added.
In the three counties overall, the food bank has had a 38 percent increase in requests for food in the past six months. The food bank is now feeding an average of 9,200 people a week in the three counties.
The food bank gets donated items for free. Iberis said the food bank has to pay the shipping cost for the food. The money raised by the dinner will be given to the pantries at St. Paul Catholic Church, First United Methodist Church, First Baptist Church and the Salvation Army.
Dan Kish, a high school senior, said, “I thought it was a very good opportunity to help the community.”
Most of the clubs at the school are pitching in to help with the project, he said.
For every dollar raised, Second Harvest can obtain $15 in food for the pantries.
That could bring the school to its goal of $150,000 in food.
Kish said he believes the school’s goal is obtainable since the previous highest state drive was in the $70,000 range.
The school may or may not break a state record for a fund drive, Peters said. T-shirts have been made that say “Community Food Drive 2009” and “Ohio’s Largest.”
Rebecca Martinez, the Second Harvest director of resource development, said, “It’s wonderful what they are trying to do.”
J.R. Straley, the head of food service at the school, said all the kitchen staff has agreed to help with the meal. He said he has worked as a chef on both coasts but came back because Salem is a special town that helps people.
Peters said he has issued a friendly challenge to other communities to raise funds to help the needy.
He said with a smile, “Bring it on.”
wilkinson@vindy.com