Collection to benefit food pantry

ThisWeek CW 09/08/2011

http://www.thisweeknews.com/live/content/canalwinchester/stories/2011/09/07/collection-to-benefit-food-pantry.html?sid=104

The Canal Winchester Food Pantry will again partner with the schools for the annual Football for Food donation campaign.

Students will be able to make donations of household goods and food at their schools Sept. 6-9. Donations will be picked up from the Indian Trail and Winchester Trail Elementary Schools on Thursday, Sept. 8, and from Canal Winchester Middle School and Canal Winchester High School on Friday, Sept. 9, prior to the football game against the Marion Franklin Red Devils.

Football for Food donations will be collected in lieu of admission to the game; kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. Everyone attending is asked to bring nonperishable items or cash donations.

“This food drive has become the largest donation drive we do each year,” Canal Winchester Human Services coordinator, Penny Miller said. “Last year, we collected 11,000 items; we’d like to collect more than that this year and surpass last year’s donations.”

According to Miller, in the past, Football for Food and other donations brought in enough food to sustain the pantry. However, last year, even with the 11,000 items from Football for Food, the pantry ran through all of the donations before the end of the calendar year.

“Right now, we’re distributing about 1,200 meals a week. That’s 50 families a week. A year ago, we were serving about 30 families a week,” Miller said. “In recent weeks, it’s been a struggle to keep any food on the shelves as the requests for assistance keep pouring in.”

In an attempt to increase donations this year, the pantry is running a Pizza for Food contest. In each of the schools, the classroom that donates the most items for the food pantry will win a pizza party. This is also the first year that the high school has been included in the in-school donation drive.

“We hope all students throughout the district will participate,” Miller said.

The food pantry is currently in transition.

Canal Winchester Human Services will be taking over administrative duties for the food pantry and a new location is being proposed, according to Miller.

“We’re still working on the funding of the proposed new location through grants and donations,” she said. “But we’re looking for feedback from the public to help us know if this new location for us is going to be a good fit for the community. We want to give everyone a chance to make their suggestions.”

An open house at the proposed new location, 360 W. Waterloo St., will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 14. The event is free and open to the public.

Additional information about the Football for Food drive or the open house is available from Miller at 834-3888.