News

Community action

July 26, 2008

Businesses rally to help the hungry

SHERRY LONG slong@timesleader.com

Area businesses are uniting to help fight hunger in Luzerne County because, they say, hard economic times are forcing more people to seek relief at food pantries.

The Weinberg Regional Food Bank has seen an 8 percent to 10 percent increase in the number of people seeking groceries in recent months, according to Rich Kutz, director of the Commission on Economic Opportunity food bank.

“Between rising food prices and fuel prices and wages people are not really being able to keep up,” he said.

On Friday, the CEO, in conjunction with the United Way of Wyoming Valley, held its 19th annual Christmas in July Food Drive. In the drive, employees of participating businesses donate non-perishable grocery items that are distributed to 20 food pantries in the county.

Last year more than 87,000 pounds of food were collected through the program and Kutz expects this year’s total to be even higher.

“The fact that these companies are so dedicated to this program, it will exceed last year’s,” Kutz said.

The 19 participating businesses conducted their collections from July 14 until Friday, when the deliveries were made to the CEO. Volunteers then sorted through the food, for distribution to the food pantries.

Trion Industries, a manufacturing company in Wilkes-Barre, has participated in the program for the last decade, said Ellen Evanko. She credits the company’s owners, John and David Thalenfeld, with encouraging employees to donate what they can to help others.

The company’s employees are tenderhearted and realize that with such insecurity in the economy these days, everyone deserves a helping hand, she said.

“Some of them have gone through hard times. I think that’s why some of them want to participate. They feel at some time it could be them looking for help,” Evanko said.

Sherry Long, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7159.

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