World Food Day is on Friday, Oct 16, “a day of action against hunger.”
At Ohio University, the Wealth & Poverty theme launches a food drive on this day to collect non-perishable items for the Athens County Food Pantry. This is the theme’s fall service and outreach activity, led by Dr. Stephen Scanlan, Associate Professor of Sociology.
Non-perishable food items may be brought to Scanlan’s in Bentley Annex 125 until Dec. 4. The food will be delivered to the Athens County Food Pantry over winter break for distribution to individuals and families in the community who are in need.
It could be a next-door-neighbor, a working poor family, an elderly woman, a child in grade school, or someone who recently lost his or her job. The Athens County Food Pantry contracts with Athens County Job and Family Services to distribute emergency food to individuals and families in need. The food pantry is a United Appeal agency that relies on the generous donations of individuals and organizations to do its work.
The Athens County Food Pantry also acquires deeply discounted food from the Southeastern Ohio Food Bank in Logan. The food bank serves 10 counties in the region, distributing 8 million pounds of wholesome food annually to charitable agencies to provide meals to not only those who have no food to eat, but those who have to make a choice between a balanced meal and life’s other necessities, such as gas to travel to work, medication, or utility bills.
For information on hunger at home or abroad and what else you can do to help, visit Feeding America, the Nation’s Food Bank Network, or the World Food Day USA.
Questions? E-mail Scanlan at scanlans@ohio.edu or call 740-593-1384. Help feed the need—every little bit helps.
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