Time to Clean out the Pantry?

This was on the Herald Times Online this morning (thanks, Carly!)

If you can give, please do so!

After Monroe County United Ministries had a disappointing food drive last weekend, the Salvation Army is asking the community to donate canned, packaged or unopened food products for its food pantry.

Both nonprofit agencies are among the many that receive food from the Hoosier Hills Food Bank, but not nearly enough to meet the needs of their clients. That is why they must have their own food drives.

Monica Clemons, spokeswoman for the Salvation Army, said this year the agency has provided food to more than 3,000 people, more than twice the number it helped three years ago.
“We’ve been buying food at Aldi’s for the last few weeks because our food pantry was pretty much empty,” Clemons said. “We need everything, but mostly peanut butter; and canned tuna, fruits, vegetables and soups.”

Donations can be brought to the Salvation Army office at 111 N. Rogers St. in Bloomington from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, or dropped off at the adjacent store between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Last weekend, the Monroe County United Ministries collected 15,200 pounds of food for its food pantry, but the amount fell short of last year’s collections.

“We still need food, primarily canned meats and fruits,” said Rebecca Stanze, MCUM’s development coordinator. “People can help by dropping off those items (at 827 W. 14th Court) Monday through Friday.”

Stanze said from 2003 to 2006, the number of food requests from MCUM’s food pantry doubled to 1,229, while the amount of food donations increased by only 45 percent.

copyright 2007: Herald Times Online, Bloomington, Indiana