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Harvest food, fund effort reaps gratitude in Valley
YOUNGSTOWN
Simple thank-yous, written on empty paper plates by the users of area food pantries, tell the reason for the Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley’s annual March Harvest for Hunger campaign.
The campaign kicked off Friday at Second Harvest’s offices and warehouse at 2805 Salt Springs Road.
The plates with the messages were placed on metal folding chairs where guests could read them.
“Helps me live another day,” wrote one person.
Others said:
“Thanks for the food. I have something to eat.”
“I can get lunch for my child.”
“Thank you. This helps out so much. I have good food all month.”
“We asked our pantries when they distributed food to ask people to make a comment. The one that struck me says, ‘Thanks for caring,’” said Michael Iberis, executive director of Second Harvest.
Harvest for Hunger is a monthlong food and fund drive that takes place in March to help replenish food-bank shelves during the spring and summer when donations taper off, Iberis said.
In 2010, Harvest for Hunger raised $120,000 and collected 36,173 pounds of food. All funds and food collected stay in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties, where Second Harvest distributes commodities to 153 organizations, he said.
People and organizations interested in conducting a food or fund drive to benefit Second Harvest can contact Rita Brady, office manager and volunteer coordinator, at 330-792-5522, ext. 11.
An example of a fund- and food-raising activity is White House Fruit Farm’s third annual apple-dessert contest March 26. Winners receive cash prizes and apples. The $5 entry fee will be donated to Second Harvest, said Debbie Pifer, owner. When the contest ends, the business will donate 80 bushels of apples to the food bank.
Also, Pifer said, a book of recipes from the first two years of the contest is being compiled to be sold at the White House market, with $1 of the purchase price to be donated to Second Harvest.
Mahoning County Board of Developmental Disabilities is having a dance for people with developmental disabilities from 5 to 8 p.m. March 25 at the Saxon Club in Youngstown. Admission is $3 or a nonperishable food item, which will be donated to the food bank. The dance is not open to the general public.
Individuals can contribute at any local Giant Eagle store when they are asked by the cashier if they want a coupon to donate $1, $5 or $10 and/or drop off nonperishable food donations at the front of the store.
Also, The Vindicator will include an insert March 13 with coupons asking for support for the food bank, which raised $3,000 in 2010; and the newspaper will publish ads during the campaign also asking for support.
Besides Giant Eagle and The Vindicator, major sponsors of Harvest for Hunger are 21 WFMJ-TV, WBCB, and United Food & Commercial Workers Union Local 880.
Added to Second Harvest’s stores of food this week was a truckload of meat donated by Oscar Mayer, made possible by the caring spirit of the Valley’s resident, Iberis said.
Second Harvest won a friendly competition with other Feeding America affiliates nationwide in collecting 2,400 Hunger Action Month pledges to take a stand against hunger in the tri-county area.
The winning bank was selected by dividing the number of people in the food bank’s service area by the number of pledges. Because the Valley took first place, Oscar Mayer delivered 24,634 pounds of meat to Second Harvest on Thursday.