The 26th annual Hunger Hurts Food Drive, coordinated by Berea College’s Center for Excellence in Learning through Service (CELTS), in collaboration with Berea Faith Community Outreach (BFCO), runs from Oct. 27 to Nov. 3, 2018.
More than 700,000—or one in six—Kentuckians struggle with food insecurity, and each week 53,400 Kentuckians receive food from a food bank. For 26 years, residents of Berea have responded to these needs.
Beginning on Oct. 27, volunteers will distribute brown paper bags, donated by Richmond Kroger, to households within the Berea city limits. Community members can participate by filling the bags with non-perishable food and toiletry items and placing them near their front door by 9 a.m. on Nov. 3, for volunteers to pick up. All donated food will be delivered to the Berea Community Food Bank, located on Parkway Avenue.
In addition to providing food and toiletry donations, community members can provide emergency assistance to families needing help with rent and utility bills this winter by supporting Bereans United for Utility and Rent Relief (BUURR), also sponsored by BFCO. Additional information about BUURR also will be attached to the bags.
The Berea Community Food Bank and BURR serve more than 1,000 families who access their services annually. In addition to the Hunger Hurts Food Drive, many individuals, churches, schools, businesses and organizations contribute food and money to the food bank throughout the year.
Residents of southern Madison County who have an emergency food need or would like to request assistance from the BUURR program can call 859-985-1903 for more information.
For more information about the Hunger Hurts Food Drive, please contact Sheila Lyons at 859-985-3935, Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.
First Berea Day of Service to Reach Beyond Berea’s Borders
The Alumni Relations team is calling on alumni volunteers in the regional areas of Cincinnati, Knoxville, Lexington and Louisville to donate food at participating organizations for the College’s first Berea Day of Service, scheduled to coincide with the annual Hunger Hurts Food Drive. The four locations will tally the bags of food donated by Bereans to help measure their impact beyond Berea’s borders.
For more information, contact volunteer coordinator Lisa Colletti-Jones at lisa_colletti-jones@berea.edu or 859-985-3104.