Second Harvest's annual food, funds drive kicked off tody

YOUNGSTOWN

The Second Harvest Food Bank of the Mahoning Valley kicked off its Harvest for Hunger campaign this morning. Harvest for Hunger is an annual food and funds drive meant to replenish the shelves of the food bank during the spring and summer when donations typically diminish.

Last year, the event raised $232,783 and nearly 29,000 pounds of food were collected throughout the course of the campaign.

All of the funds raised and food collected remains in Columbiana, Mahoning and Trumbull counties.

Food donations can be made directly to Second Harvest Food Bank Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., or at participating Giant Eagle and Sparkle markets. Monetary donations can be made directly to the food bank or through the purchase of donation tickets — available in $1, $5 and $10 “coupons” — at Giant Eagle and Sparkle markets between Feb. 18 and March 31.

Food bank representatives said that while food donations — in particular items such as canned vegetables, dried pasta, cereal, tuna fish and peanut butter — are always needed, that every $1 of monetary donations allows the group to distribute $11 worth of food.

Michael Iberis, the executive director of the Second Harvest Food Bank, shared stories of children who were benefitting from local school pantry programs — like the one at Boardman Center Intermediate School — and how the Harvest for Hunger impacts those programs.

Read more about it in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.