West Corporation employees donate 3,600 food items to Warren Family Mission

Donations to the Warren Family Mission slow down after Christmas, and its food pantry for needy families had nearly been exhausted in recent weeks.

NILES

Donations to the Warren Family Mission slow down after Christmas, and its food pantry for needy families had nearly been exhausted in recent weeks.

So the donation of 3,600 non-perishable food items Wednesday by the West Corporation on Youngstown Road came at a great time, said Michelle Beauchene, director of development and public relations.

“We’d been getting down to bare shelves,” she said.

For the third time in a year, the 800 employees of the West Corporation call center on Youngstown Road put their enthusiasm into a food drive for the mission.

The company engaged the employees’ competitive spirit, calling the event a “Food Fight,” and challenging 25 teams to compete to have the highest donation total, said Mike Sifro, director of operations at the center.

“We have a competitive environment, so for bragging rights, they want to be the most generous team,” Sifro said.

The West Corporation gets involved in other charities such as the Niles Relay for Life and Salvation Army.

The reason for helping the mission is because it feeds the homeless, Sifro said.

“It’s important to support your area,” he said. “In the area, we have a tremendous need. They are a good organization to support because of the work they do.”

The Food Fight asked employees to donate non-perishable food items such as boxes of macaroni and cheese and canned goods. The mission was able to load a large truck about half full with items from West Corp..