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Banking on compassion
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Several Charter One volunteers at the food bank warehouse on Salt Springs Road, Youngstown, display some of the 3,012 chickens donated by the Charter One Foundation. From left are Jim Basista, Jenna Howard, Casey Martin, Amy Manolio , Judy Larson, Diana Hogg, Kim Williams and Becky Greenwood. Second Harvest received a $10,000 grant from the Charter One Foundation.
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Cup upon cup of bulk cereal is placed in bags by Casey Martin, who was among Charter One Bank employees who volunteered at Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley on Tuesday.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
alcorn@vindy.com
YOUNGSTOWN
A $10,000 grant from the Charter One Foundation to Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley will provide 8,033 meals to people in the Valley during the holiday season.
With the economic downturn still affecting families, hunger has been a challenge many have faced this year, Michael Iberis, executive director of Second Harvest, said. The food bank is at 2805 Salt Springs Road.
Charter One and the food bank have teamed up to provide 3,012 chickens through Charter One’s Carving Out Hunger initiative, an annual campaign to raise awareness of hunger and provide holiday meals to men, women and children in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
The Carving Out Hunger program has donated $105,000 this year and more than $600,000 in the past six years for holiday food programs in Ohio, says Charter One.
The chickens, which total 12,049 pounds, are being distributed through Second Harvest’s 152 member agencies in the Valley, Iberis said.
On Thursday, Charter One volunteers worked several hours at the food bank sorting and repackaging food for distribution to local hunger-relief organizations.
“We hope our efforts will help alleviate hunger, and we are proud to help families put nutritious meals on their tables this holiday season,” said Ken Marblestone, president of Charter One, Ohio.
Second Harvest is fulfilling nearly 12,000 requests for food assistance each week in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties, and the need is expected to increase throughout the winter, Iberis said.
He said 51 percent of Valley food recipients report having to choose between paying for heating costs and paying for food. The holiday season is the busiest time at the food bank, when it distributes nearly 40,000 pounds of food each day.
“Since 2005, Charter One has given Second Harvest $49,500 to buy poultry to feed hungry families in our community during the holiday season,” Iberis said.
SECOND HARVEST
Food-bank facts
The holiday season is the busiest time of the year for Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley, during which it distributes about 40,000 pounds of food a day. For information on hunger in the Valley and how individuals, organizations and businesses can help, call 330-792-5522.
Second Harvest fills nearly 12,000 requests for food assistance each week in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties through 152 affiliated hunger-relief organizations.
The food bank distributes about 30,000 pounds of food each day during the year and is providing food to more than 11,000 individuals each week.
87,467 Valley residents are food-insecure, meaning they are uncertain where their next meal will come from.
In 2009, the food bank distributed about 7.4 million pounds of food including 3 million pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Source: Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley