Akron, Ohio News Release...

HARVEST FOR HUNGER KICKS OFF MASSIVE DRIVE

AKRON - CANTON REGIONAL FOODBANK 546 Grant Street Akron, Ohio 44311 330-535-6900 Fax 330-996-5337

FOR RELEASE: FEBRUARY 24, 1999 10:30 AM

Akron, OH--The local kickoff for Harvest for Hunger took place on Wednesday, February 24, 1999, at a news conference hosted by Donald L. Plusquellic, mayor of Akron, at Annunciation Catholic Church hunger center.

A staggering 26 million Americans find it necessary to use hunger centers and, locally, 14% of our neighbors live in poverty. There is a need.

Since 1992, nearly 11 million pounds of food and dollars have been collected in Northeast Ohio to help fight hunger. In the Akron/Canton area, 1.3 million pounds of food and dollars have provided nearly 1.4 million meals for hungry children and adults through a network of local hunger centers.

A leadership committee of corporate executives is focusing its efforts on increasing the number of food drives within companies. "Harvest for Hunger is important to our community because it is a sign of hope to so many people in need," according to Philip Maynard of ASW Services, who is chairperson of this Harvest for Hunger Leadership Committee. This year, Stark County is actively involved through its United Way Corporate Volunteer Council.

NewsChannel 5 and WGAR FM 99.5 are providing extensive publicity. The Beacon Journal and The Plain Dealer are inserting grocery bags into their Sunday, February 28, edition and encouraging their readers to fill these bags with groceries and take them to their nearest Acme, Apples, Finast, Giant Eagle or Heinen's supermarket.

Along with food, Harvest for Hunger is requesting money to purchase food in quantity at reduced prices. Because of the Foodbank purchasing power, each dollar donated is equal to two pounds of food. Each grocery bag in the newspapers has a coupon which can be mailed with a check to: Harvest for Hunger, P.O. Box 318005, Independence, OH 44131-8005. Checks may also be made out to Harvest for Hunger and mailed to the Foodbank. Both food and money remain in the area where they are collected to help local people who are hungry.

Area students are being encouraged to learn about hunger on both local and national levels and do food drives within their schools.

The Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank provides groceries to 320 food pantries, meal sites and institutions. Annually, these hunger centers distribute 190,000 food orders and serve more than 2.5 million meals to people in need.