County Wide Food Drive Ends Today

Hunger never goes away, and Kent County is seeing an increased usage of the pantries within the Access Pantry Network. With 1 in 6 local families struggling with hunger, the need is as great as ever and the help of the community is essential to solving this problem.

The Access County Wide Food Drive ends TODAY, and is an attempt at addressing the issue of local hunger as it unites over 50 pantries and hundreds of congregations, businesses, schools, and individuals in the fight against food insecurity. But more help is desperately needed for this annual event for it to truly be a success for the thousands of families in Kent County that use the Access Pantry Network which provides almost 20,000 food services each month.

The Access Food Pantry Network is hoping to collect 100 tons of food and personal care items to help meet those needs.  All of these collected items will be distributed among local food pantries.

It's NOT TOO LATE TO HELP!  You could fill a bag of food and items needed, TODAY and take it to any of the drop-off locations.  They are:

• Family Fare Grocery Stores
• D&W Grocery Stores
• Duthler Family Foods
• Fulton Heights Foods
• Forest Hills Foods
• Any Kent County Spartan Store
• Westminster Presbyterian Church (47 Jefferson SE) T, Th from 9am-4pm, Saturday from 9am-12pm
• SECOM (1545 Buchanan SW) Th from 9am-3pm; Fri from 9am-12pm, Saturday from 9am-2pm
• UCOM (1311 Chicago Dr SW) Monday – Saturday from 9am-2pm
• Third Reformed Church (2060 Michigan St NE) Saturday from 9am-2pm
• John Knox Community Food Pantry (4150 Kalamazoo SE) M-F from 9am-2pm, Saturday from 9am-2pm
• St Peter and Paul (1513 Quarry NW) Saturday from 9am-2pm
• North Kent Community Services (10075 Northland Drive NE)

They are looking for:

• Cereal
• Soup
• Rice
• Canned fruits and vegetables
• Canned meats (tuna, chicken, stew, etc.)
• Pasta and pasta sauce
• Peanut butter
• Soap: dish, laundry, bar
• Toilet paper
• Diapers
• Shampoo and conditioner
• Toothbrushes and toothpast

Need more information?  Link up with Access of West Michigan Here.  YOU CAN DO IT!