The following article was posted in the Stark County Hunger Task Force Summer 2020: Response to Covid-19 newsletter:
The Stark County Hunger Task Force saw a huge increase in the demand for its services. Many of our neighbors found themselves quickly unemployed with no other options than to seek assistance. Thankfully, due to the generosity of our community, we were able to address this huge increase in need. We saw so many individuals give generously. We had local foundations and organizations rallied together to help. We are so grateful for all of the support that we received. There are just a few shining stars that we want to highlight from the past few months. These are groups, organizations, or companies that went the extra mile to support The Hunger Task Force in fighting hunger in Stark County.
- The Marathon Petroleum Company's Canton refinery held an employee giving campaign for SCHTF. The employees raised more than $36,000. Utilizing the Marathon Foundation 100% match, the total gift to SCHTF was $73,000. This gift will provide over 500,000 pounds of food which is roughly 425 meals to the hungry in Stark County.
- The annual Stamp Out Food Drive could not be conducted this year with letter carriers collecting food from residences. Because of this, our local Branch of the National Association of Letter Carriers and the Stark County Stamp Out Chairperson, John Laughlin, conducted an NALC member donation drive, which brought in over $8,000 and allows us to provide 56,000 pounds of food to our community!
- SCHTF has always had dedicated leadership in our Board of Directors, but this year they proved that even more than usual. Our Board President, Bob Fay, and our Board Members helped develop a gift of over $30,000 to SCHTF. This donation began with a matching grant from the Rotary Club of Canton and included generous contributions from Employer's Health and the CVS Foundation. This gift allows SCHTF to provide over 210,000 pounds of food to our neighbors in need.
These examples are only a few ways the Stark County community and its residents have supported the Hunger Task Force. We have also had so many community members show up to volunteer in our pantry and with our Backpack for Kids program. The financial and volunteer support from our friends, neighbors, and community members is why we have been able to continue to address the need in Stark County and carry on our fight against hunger!
By: Maureen Kampman