Grocery Stores to Collect Food Donations

By LISA KERNEK STAFF WRITER

Local grocery stores will collect donated food from Monday through Nov. 19 on behalf of agencies that feed the needy at Thanksgiving.

The goal is to collect 20,000 pounds of food, said Pam Molitoris, executive director of the Central Illinois Foodbank.

The donations will be shared with 175 agencies providing or serving food to the needy this Thanksgiving.

The participating stores are Jewel, Schnucks, Shop ‘n Save and the Wal-Mart supercenter.

The stores will offer different options for shoppers who wish to donate. They may purchase single items to place in collection bins or prepackaged bags of groceries for $5 or $10 each.

Molitoris spoke Thursday at a press conference in the food bank warehouse. Shop ‘n Save presented Molitoris with a check for $4,500.

Also on hand was Phil Zepeda, spokesman for Chicago-based America’s Second Harvest, a national food bank network that counts Springfield’s food bank as a member.

Zepeda cited a U.S. Department of Agriculture study that found rising rates of hunger and “food insecurity” nationally. The USDA reported that in 2004, 38 million Americans experienced food insecurity, meaning they were unable to access enough food to meet basic nutritional requirements.