The Shadow
Dear Community,
The Alleghany Highlands Kiwanis Club is once again announcing the return of its annual Community Food Drive. Focused on replenishing the four largest feeding programs in this community, the Food Drive will help stock the shelves inside the Clifton Forge food pantry, the C.O.P.E. food pantry, the South Covington Methodist Church food pantry and the Salvation Army food pantry.
Last year, the community overwhelmingly responded to our call for help by donating over 2.5 tons of food and more than $6,000. The support you gave was truly appreciated by those struggling with hunger in our community!
With steady unemployment numbers and families struggling to survive, the need for food assistance continues to increase. Feeding America Southwest Virginia serves 26 counties and 10 cities throughout Southwest Virginia.
As reported last year when starting our efforts, not only have food assistance needs increased over the past year, many Food Bank agencies report seeing “new faces” at their soup kitchen, food pantry and children’s program. The Food Bank continues to distribute more than one million pounds of food every month to keep up with this growing need. With your help, more can be done to combat hunger in this region.
The increase in need is clearly evident right here in the Alleghany Highlands, where residents continue to struggle with the loss of jobs. As of September 2014, Alleghany County’s unemployment rate stands at 6.7 percent, while the city of Covington is at 7.0 percent, not including those who are experiencing long-term unemployment.
According to the area food pantry representatives, there continues to be an increase in requests for food from last year to present, with the greatest increase in senior citizens and those homebound with disabilities. Even though unemployment in the area has seemingly leveled off, the cost of day-to-day needs continues to increase which leaves citizens continuing to need support from the area food pantries to feed their families. Each year, the food pantries continue to need support from the community to help fund their programs that continue to grow and strain their budgets more and more.
From Feb. 1 through March 1, the Alleghany Highlands Kiwanis is asking all churches, civic groups, schools, local businesses and individuals to donate food or funds during the Community Food Drive. All proceeds will be divided equally among the four largest feeding programs in our area, C.O.P.E. food pantry, Clifton Forge pantry, Salvation Army pantry and South Covington Methodist Church food pantry.
You may take your donations to the Salvation Army where they will be stored and tallied (149 N. Maple Avenue). For monetary or bulk donations, please contact me at (540) 968-2350 or any other Kiwanis member for assistance or to arrange a pick up.
In addition, Kiwanis Club members will be on hand at the following locations taking up non-perishable food donations as well as monetary donations:
— Sunday, Feb. 8, 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. Walmart in Covington;
— Sunday, Feb. 15, 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. Kroger in Clifton Forge;
— Saturday, Feb. 28, 4 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Covington High School for the Senior Miss Queen of Hearts Pageant.
Those battling hunger in our area need you and you have proven year after year, you CAN make a difference! Please donate to the Community Food Drive and help those in need in the Alleghany Highlands today.
Sincerely,
Schuyler L. Fury
Food Drive Chair
Alleghany Highlands Kiwanis Club
Covington
