Food For The Hungry donations top $300K

MOUNT VERNON – Amid fears that a sluggish economy marked by high inflation might dampen the community’s charitable spirit, Food For The Hungry steamed ahead this year, with total donations reaching $321,698 and 20 truckloads of food.

That figure surpasses this year’s goal of $250,000 and also leapfrogs last year’s total of $257,538. While 2021’s campaign saw 26 truckloads of food donated, this year’s 20 truckloads dwarfs the 15 truckloads donated in 2020.

“Community members came together again this year to support food assistance projects and provide emergency client services through Interchurch Social Services, The Salvation Army and other food assistance organizations of Knox County,” a press release stated.

Key contributors include the Kenyon Snowflake Gala, which raised $118,000; the Knox County elementary school collection (hosted by Psi Iota Xi Sorority), which collected $11,936 and 6,778 food items; and the Knox County Career Center Online Silent Auction of themed gift baskets, which netted $5,160.

Volunteers staffed 11 different collection points around the county on Friday, Dec. 9, to collect food and money, while local media combined to produce an eight-hour live broadcast on radio and the internet.

Food For The Hungry awarded 23 grants, totaling $38,000 to county projects involving food assistance.

Grants of $2,000 went to: 

• Byron Saunders Foundation, Knox County Chapter
• Central Christian Church Food Pantry
• First Congregational Church of Christ Hot Meals Program
• Fredericktown United Methodist Church, Peace Meals Program
• Gay Street United Methodist Church Hot Meals Program
• Knox County Career Center Food Pantry
• Knox County Task Force for Older Adults
• Millwood Church of Christ Sharing Shed
• North Bend Church of the Brethren Food Pantry
• Say a Prayer Ministries/In Joy Food Pantry
• The Church on the Rise Food Pantry

Grants of $1,500 went to:

• CHOMP – Mulberry Street United Methodist Church
• Covenant Church Food Pantry
• First Naz Mount Vernon Hot Meals and Father’s Table Food Pantry
• Lazarus Life Ministries
• Mount Vernon 7th Day Adventist Hot Meals Program
• The Winter Sanctuary

Grants of $1,000 went to:

• Escape Zone
• The Freedom Center
• Mount Vernon Municipal Court
• New Directions
• TouchPointe Marriage & Family Resources Knox Works Program

Food For The Hungry also announced three major grants totaling $30,000.

• The Knox Learning Center received a major grant of $12,500 to purchase a refrigerated cabinet and for purchasing food items to store in it that they use to supplement the daily food deliveries. This additional nutrition will help students be more attentive and better retain what is being taught.

• Lifepoint Church, Backpacks of Hope received a major grant of $12,500 to help provide healthy weekend meals to the Mount Vernon elementary schools of Columbia, Dan Emmett, East, Pleasant Street, Twin Oak, Wiggin Street as well as the Knox County Career Center, the Career Center preschool and the Learning Center.

• Central Christian Church Food Pantry received a major grant of $5,000 to help them procure food supplies from the Mid-Ohio Food Collective and help purchase a fifth-wheel trailer to help transport the food back to Knox County from Mid-Ohio.

To learn more about the contributions as well as partner thank yous, read the rest of this article in our online edition.