Food drive to help hungry at a crucial time
Summer is one of the hardest times for families in need.
During the school year, children can count on free and reduced-price breakfast and lunch at school.
Once school is out, however, almost all meals come from home, stretching some families’ budgets to the breaking point.
The Spokesman-Review’s ninth annual carrier food drive on Saturday will bring in donations at a crucial time, said Second Harvest Inland Northwest spokeswoman Ann Price.
“It’s helping us look at the needs of families with kids home for the summer,” Price said.
“People really identify hunger as a kind of cold weather, wintertime issue. The reality is one of our little (sayings) is that hunger doesn’t know a season.”
Second Harvest’s partner food outlets help 16,000 people a month, about 7,000 of whom are children.
Newspaper carriers are paid to distribute bags, but volunteer to pick them up on Saturday, said Bill Fuzak, The Spokesman-Review’s home delivery manager.
About 400 carriers and 150 other volunteers are expected to participate this year, Fuzak said.
“It’s our chance to give back to the community and help,” he said.
Last year, newspaper carriers and volunteers collected more than 50,000 pounds of food during The Spokesman-Review’s drive – enough to supply emergency agencies with perishable food for one month.
Price said she hopes this year’s food drive will bring in even more. She suggests people consider contributing lunch items like peanut butter, tuna, canned soups, vegetables and fruit, pudding snacks, granola bars, and macaroni and cheese.
“Lots of people are getting bags. Lots of people have the opportunity to fill a bag and make a difference,” she said.
Other options to help the hungry this weekend include a custom car drive Saturday at Tidyman’s on North Argonne Road. Car owners can contribute $10 or $5 and five cans of food to participate. The public is also invited to attend and contribute food.
On Sunday the FastKart Indoor Speedway will feature 50 teams of racers in a double-elimination motor cart contest called FastKart for Food. Teams contributed $500 to participate with all proceeds going to the food bank.