The annual Food For The Hungry (FFTH) Drive kicked off on Nov. 1, as a community-wide effort to raise food and funds for Interchurch Social Services, The Salvation Army, and other organizations throughout the county with food assistance initiatives. In FFTH's 43rd year of helping the community, it has established a financial goal of $330,000 and aims to collect as many non-perishable food items as the community can donate.
To accomplish its mission, there is a food and money drive, titled The 2024 Drive, made up of multiple events and collections culminating into a one-day simulcast (broadcast online and via the radio) on Friday, Dec. 13 from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
The food and funds collected by FFTH will be distributed to local agencies that work firsthand with those in need of food in Knox County.
With high inflation in the country, many residents are feeling the weight of soaring grocery bills; the number of people, who cannot afford food to feed their families or themselves, is rising, according to FFTH officials.
The Mid-Ohio Food Collective (formerly known as Mid-Ohio Food Bank) has also suffered from the economy. The Mid-Ohio Food Collective is a major source of food for the agencies that are supported through FFTH. In three years, the buying power of $1 at the Mid-Ohio Food Collective has fallen from $11 to $4.56.
FFTH said it is confident that those less fortunate in the community can continue to count on its generous donors to help disrupt the food insecurity in Knox County.
A food pantry can still use a single $1 to buy $4.56 worth of food from the Mid-Ohio Food Collective. According to FFTH, only a few dollars can provide dinner for a need family in the community.
"No effort to support the FFTH mission is too small!," said FFTH organizers.
Fundraising events for previous drives have ranged from county-wide service club competitions to middle school girls selling bracelets.
"You can make a difference by participating in the 2024 FFTH Drive!," FFTH organizers said.
The people of Knox County exceeded the drive goal last year and raised $321,864.48 and 12 truckloads of food. Funds that exceeded the 2023 FFTH Drive Goal were used for summer grants. In June 2024, a total of $29,500 in grants were awarded to 15 different Knox County organizations, prioritizing projects that focused on feeding children, who rely on school meals throughout the school year.
Funds from the 2023 FFTH Drive were allocated for this year's winter grants that will enable local organizations to provide food to those in need through the 2024-2025 winter season; grant recipients will be announced on Nov. 8.
The largest portion of the drive goal (64.52%) goes to Interchurch Social Services and The Salvation Army; the remaining funds will be awarded in 2025 through both the summer grants (8.39%) and winter grants (13.87%), as well as a small portion for organizational expenses (13.22%).
Since starting the summer grant program in 2020, money for the grants came from funds that exceeded the drive goal. After four years of waiting to see if we exceeded our goals to fund summer grants, FFTH decided to prioritize summer grants to ensure food assistance programs were supported throughout the entire year. To sustain providing summer grant opportunities and account for inflation, FFTH set a larger goal this year.
"Thank you to every individual and organization in Knox County who continuously believes in Food For The Hungry's vision and the desire to better our community," said FFTH organizers.
To celebrate kick-off, follow FFTH on Facebook (@FoodForTheHungryKnoxCounty) and Instagram (@FFTHCares) to stay up to date.
"Get involved by attending events, donating, volunteering, or even hosting your own event for FFTH!," said FFTH organizers. "If you are hosting an event, make sure to fill out the Community Event Form on the FFTH website."
To learn more about FFTH, donate, or find photos, videos, and more, visit: www.foodforthehungrycares.org/. To volunteer with FFTH, call or text Kathy Brechler at 740.409.1866 or email: Director@FoodForTheHungryCares.org. The 2024 FFTH live broadcast will take place on Dec. 13 at the Memorial Theater inside the Knox Memorial. "This is a Knox County tradition you won’t want to miss!," FFTH organizers said.
FFTH is a nonprofit organization focused on providing food and financial support to entities striving to reduce hunger in Knox County.
