MOUNT VERNON — The 27th annual Food For the Hungry Drive begins today throughout Knox County, and will culminate in a live television and radio broadcast on Dec. 13, from Mount Vernon’s City Hall. The goals for this year’s drive are $150,000 and 50 truckloads of food.
“The vision for the drive came back in 1982, when WMVO’s Charlie Kilkenny wanted to help local families in need during the holiday season,” said Joseph Rinehart, president of the board of directors for the drive. “With the help of station owner Stephen Zelkowitz in 1983, Food For the Hungry’s vision and purpose expanded to collect enough food and funds during the drive to help people in need throughout the entire year. With the addition of several supporting community partners in 1995, Food For the Hungry has not only grown, but continued that vision.”
The need is rising. According to the Mid-Ohio Food Bank, requests for food in central Ohio has increased 14 percent over the past year. Knox County’s food pantries have seen the direct result of this increase, with rising numbers of local requests.
The mission of Food For the Hungry is to help Interchurch Social Services and The Salvation Army stock their food pantries and give financial assistance to their support of Knox County’s citizens in need. The annual drive is made possible through the support of six corporate sponsors (the Mount Vernon News, BAS Broadcasting, Time Warner Cable, WNZR Radio, Mount Vernon Nazarene University and Nelson & Nelson CPAs) and thousands of Knox County residents, businesses and organizations who volunteer their time and donate food and funds.
“Food For the Hungry is truly unique,” said FFH Executive Director Micah Rubenstein. “It is 100 percent local — it is not a national or state organization. All monetary donations are 100 percent tax deductible, 100 percent of all donations stay in the community from which they were received and local media have banded together to help support those citizens most in need… this is rare in a community.
“But all this goes to prove,” continued Rubenstein, “what a special community Knox County is. I have never seen a place that opens their hearts as much. Food For the Hungry is a simple idea: people helping people. People like us. People like you. It is one way Knox County works to take care of its own citizens. We invite you to join the effort to help.”
Throughout the next five weeks, look in the Mount Vernon News, on Time Warner Cable, and on WNZR, WMVO and other local media channels, for articles explaining the needs, announcements and notices about upcoming FFH events to raise food and funds in the county. Information about the drive and the many community activities that support it can also be found on the Web site, www.FoodForTheHungryCares.org.
Any individual, service organization or business that would like to donate time, money or services is encouraged to call Rubenstein at 398-2435.
