Hunger Action Month Finishing Up
September 21st a tractor-trailer load of frozen Tyson chicken was backed into a dock at Second Harvest Food Bank. By 5 PM that evening more than a hundred high school students were on hand to unload the truck as they kicked-off a first of its kind in Indiana – the Student Food Drive. Fifteen East Central Indiana high schools are taking on six weeks of food collection, developing and using student skills to organize events and to carry them out. Although it is billed as ‘friendly competition’, Tyson has kicked it up a notch with cash prizes for winning schools.
What a great way to finish up Hunger Action Month – kicking off a vigorous food drive infused with youthful energy. But we aren’t done with September. As United Way encourages us to ‘live united’, we have many opportunities to take action.
Senator Lugar’s Hoosiers Fighting Hunger food drive continues through the end of September in all Marsh Supermarkets, Pay Less Super Markets and Kroger and Walmart stores throughout Indiana. Each store has pre-bagged groceries that shoppers can buy to deposit in collection bins at each site. These groceries will be distributed to neighbors in need through regional food banks and local pantries.
Meijer is making $10 charitable gift cards available for purchase. The Anderson Meijer is will direct these gifts to Second Harvest. Cassella’s Kitchen in Muncie is wrapped up a Second Harvest promotion with a Sunday, Sept 27th ‘by invitation only’ event that resulted in a cash donation to our hunger relief efforts. And, on Sept 28th Main Source Bank in Anderson launched a three month food drive to help fill shelves through the holidays.
This is also the time of the year when you get our fall annual campaign letters followed quickly by our holiday fund drives. You will see Second Harvest messages in your newspapers and magazines and spread over billboards throughout the region. You will hear our story and be updated on our very full schedule through radio broadcasts. And if we can grab the attention of the men and women behind the cameras, you may see us on TV! Everything we do in the next three months is geared toward meeting the Kresge Challenge. Your gifts through the end of the year will help us feed hungry neighbors while the Kresge Foundation will increase every dollar you give by 50% to help meet our capital needs.
We love visitors and if you want to add a volunteer component to your visit, we can make it happen. We are bringing trailer loads of produce in, one after the other, and lots of it needs bagged before we send it out. Another way to Live United - give us a call and come on over for a couple of hours to work in the warehouse. Can’t make the trip over to 6621 N Old SR 3 north of Muncie? Then go to curehunger.org and locate the pantry nearest you. Volunteer to help them help your hungry neighbors!