The Lutheran Social Services’ Delaware County Food Pantry’s second annual “Delaware Co. vs. Hunger” campaign is currently underway throughout April, with funds being raised to provide healthy food to hungry families.
“With the help of (local nonprofit organization) Main Street Delaware, we were able to reach out to a lot of the local businesses,” said LSS spokeswoman Jennifer Hamilton. “We were able to get a lot of them on board to do a percentage of sales – that might be for a specific day or the whole month. For example, Button Up is doing a percentage of sales of a specific candle.”
Also participating in the campaign: American Family Insurance Cassandra Converse Agency, Breakaway Cycling, Choffey’s Coffee, Fundamentals Children’s Books, Gibson the Florist, Hilborn Insurance, Josie Posey Flowers, Local Roots (in Powell), Pure-N-Simple Natural Foods, Sherwin-Williams Paints, State Farm Insurance, The Bare Bowl, Toujours Unique Boutique, Typhoon Asian Bistro and Whit’s Frozen Custard.
Prior to each movie showing, the Strand Theatre is showing a short video about the campaign sponsored by Creative Financial Insurance.
“In addition to that, (campaign sponsor) Delaware County Bank will be supporting us by having information and literature out,” Hamilton said. “We’re really excited that we’ve had such interest through the local small businesses in Delaware, and we think that really shows how involved the community is and wants to make a difference in hunger.”
“No person should go hungry, and we are committed to trying to achieve this goal in Delaware County,” said Brad Draper, director of the LSS Food Pantries, in a prepared statement. “Delaware Co. vs. Hunger is a great vehicle for people to get involved in the fight against hometown hunger.”
According to the LSS, there are 24,900 people in Delaware County who are eligible for food pantry support and 8,590 children who are at risk of hunger daily. LSS opened a food pantry at 73 London Road a year and a half ago, and served 6,757 clients in 2015 between the pantry and a food truck.
Hamilton said the food pantry helps those who are self-declared at 200 percent of the poverty level, allowing them to visit without an appointment once a month, and to get produce weekly.
LSS operates five storefront pantries across the state, as well as homeless shelters, such as Faith Mission in Columbus and Faith Housing of Fairfield County; CHOICES for Victims of Domestic Violence; senior living; and other programs in 27 Ohio counties.
“We’re a multi-service agency focused around social services,” Hamilton said.
For more information, or to make a donation, visit www.lssfoodpantries.org/delaware.