Thank you for supporting the annual Food for the Hungry drive!

 

Our current total is $321,697.64 and 20 truckloads of food!

Community members came together again this year to support food assistance projects and provide emergency client services through Interchurch Social Services, The Salvation Army and other food assistance organizations of Knox County. Volunteers staffed 12 different collection points around the county on Friday, 12/9 to collect food and money, while local media combined to produce an eight-hour live broadcast on radio and the internet.

Thanks to KAT (Knox Area Transit), Susie Simpson, Tim Llewellyn and their team from Mobility Management for helping at the county-wide collection points. Thanks to Megan Evans, Martin Booker and their team with the Mount Vernon Arts Consortium for the use of the Knox Memorial and for their amazing support!

 

Food For The Hungry announced the awarding of 23 Winter grants, totaling $38,000 to county projects involving food assistance.

Grants of $2,000 went to:

Byron Saunders Foundation, Knox County Chapter

Central Christian Church Food Pantry

First Congregational Church of Christ Hot Meals Program

Fredericktown United Methodist Church, Peace Meals Program

Gay Street United Methodist Church Hot Meals Program

Knox County Career Center Food Pantry

Knox County Task Force for Older Adults

Millwood Church of Christ Sharing Shed

North Bend Church of the Brethren Food Pantry

Say a Prayer Ministries/In Joy Food Pantry

The Church on the Rise Food Pantry

 

Grants of $1,500 went to:

CHOMP – Mulberry Street United Methodist Church

Covenant Church Food Pantry

First Naz Mount Vernon Hot Meals and Father’s Table Food Pantry

Lazarus Life Ministries

Mount Vernon 7th Day Adventist Hot Meals Program

The Winter Sanctuary

 

Grants of $1,000 went to:

Escape Zone

The Freedom Center

Mount Vernon Municipal Court

New Directions

TouchPointe Marriage & Family Resources Knox Works Program

 

Food For The Hungry also gave out a Special Winter Grant - an Emergency Equipment Repair Grant of $2,000 to Apostolic Christian Church Food Pantry. They grant will help repair the compressor used in their food pantry.

 

Food For The Hungry also announced 3 major grants totaling $30,000.

• The Knox Learning Center received a Major Grant of $12,500 to purchase a refrigerated cabinet and for purchasing food items to store in it that they use to supplement the daily food deliveries. This additional nutrition will help students be more attentive and have better retention of what is being taught.

• Lifepoint Church Backpacks of Hope received a Major Grant of $12,500 to help provide healthy weekend meals to the Mount Vernon Elementary Schools of Columbia, Dan Emmett, East, Pleasant Street, Twin Oak, Wiggin Street as well as the Knox County Career Center, the Career Center preschool and the Learning Center.

• Central Christian Church Food Pantry received a Major Grant of $5,000 to help them procure food supplies from the Mid Ohio Food Collective and help purchase a fifth wheel trailer to help transport the food back to Knox County from Mid Ohio.

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Here are some exciting collection totals!

 

The Knox County Elementary school collection was hosted by Psi Iota Xi Sorority. The students collected $11,936.15 and 6,778 food items!  (That is 5.43 truckloads of food)!

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School             Number of Food Items           Monetary Donations   Truck TOTALS

Centerburg                   848                                      $1,759.31                    .68

Danville                         531                                         $805.89                    .43

East Knox                      418                                         $850.00                    .33

Fredericktown               436                                      $1,779.31                   .35

Columbia                       614                                        $767.25                    .49

Dan Emmett                  436                                        $351.50                    .35

East                                565                                     $1,052.86                     .45

Pleasant Street              404                                        $441.00                    .32

Middle School               212                                        $617.23                    .17

St. Vincent de Paul        458                                        $392.50                    .37

Twin Oak                        652                                     $1,693.61                    .52

Wiggin Street                699                                     $1,364.00                    .56                  

The Learning Center    505                                           $62.00                    .40

Grand Totals                 6,778                                   $11,936.15               5.43 Trucks

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Knox County High Schools collected for Food for the Hungry this year. Volunteer Shawn Dugan served as the High School Collection and Competition Coordinator.

The students collected a TOTAL of $20,311.08 and 2,741 Items. That equals 2.19 trucks!

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Centerburg High School:
Collection dates were 11/29 – 12/8

Student Council Advisor, Ellen Dickerson coordinated their drive.

2022 Final Total: $577.78 and 105 Food Items

 

Danville High School:

Collection dates were 11/29 – 12/6

Danville school counselor, Hailey Kreinbrink coordinated their drive.

2022 Final Total: $1,000 and 36 Food Items

 

Fredericktown High School:
Collection dates were 11/29 – 12/6

 Fredericktown National Honor Society Advisor, Serena McCoy, with students, Ana Kraus and Lucas Phillips coordinated their drive. Student who donated were entered into a raffle for a gift card to Brickhouse Grind coffee shop and a pair of basketball tickets.

2022 Final Total: $883.21 

 

The Knox County Career Center:
Collection dates were 11/29 – 12/8  

KCCC Staff Member, Corey Cline, along with the Student Council coordinated the collections with contests going on between labs. Contests included Overall Cash and Cans, Most Physical Cans Only, and the increasingly popular Coin Wars. As of this year’s drive day on Friday Dec. 9, the Lab contests were still too-close-to-call, as Labs continued to donate and collect even after this year’s High School Food Drive Competition was complete. KCCC began fundraising activities in September and held events such as a cornhole tournament.

2022 Final Total: $17,250.09 and 2,500 Food Items (that’s 2 truckloads of food)

 

Mount Vernon High School:
Collection dates were 11/29 – 12/7               

Mt. Vernon National Honor Society Advisor, Noel McHardy-Loveland coordinated their drive.

2022 Final Total: $600 and 100 Food Items

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The top collecting schools in both the Central Knox County and Greater Knox County competitions are recognized and awarded with multi-year traveling plaques to acknowledge their achievement and contribution to Food For The Hungry. The 2022 Central Knox County Award goes to the Knox County Career Center and the 2022 Greater Knox County Award goes to Danville!

 

The Knox County Career Center was VERY involved with this year’s Food For The Hungry. Their 2022 Online Silent Auction of themed gift baskets brought in a total of $5,160.00.

 

This auction included 11 themed baskets that included gift certificates for goods and services at the Knox County Career Center labs.

The themed basket totals for 2022:  

K9 Christmas: $60

OSU Basket: $225

Car Care Basket #1: $110

Car Care Basket #2: $180

Downtown Date Night Basket: $330

Family Fun Basket: $400

Foodies Basket: $650

For Her Basket: $250
For Him Basket: $225

Getaway Date Night Basket: $390
Graduation Party Basket: $600

 

There were also some other unique items donated to be in the online auction

Cherished Teddies Figurines: $15

Four Crown Barclay China - 6 Place settings: $40

3 Month memberships to the MV YMCA #1: $150
3 Month memberships to the MV YMCA #2: $105

One ton of wood pellets from Buckeye Stoves: $155

Stacking chairs from Staples: $130

Wedding Reception at the Gallagher Center: $310

2021 YCF Lite F110 Motorcycle from Mid-Ohio Powersports: $835

 

The Snowflake Gala hosted by Kenyon College was a huge success.  The gala fundraising totaled $118,000! 

Kenyon presented this year's William A. Stroud Jr. Award for community service to Dick Mavis. 

 

The 2022 Centerburg Wreath Auction brought in a total of $270

 

The Third Annual Food For The Hungry Service Club Competition was also a huge success!  Thanks to Carol Grubaugh, Executive Director of the Knox County Chamber of Commerce for coordinating this collection. Congratulations to the Soroptomist Club of Mount Vernon for being the top club in the challenge.

Thanks to our other Service Clubs for helping Food For The Hungry.

• Rotary Club of Mount Vernon - $521

• Kiwanis Club of Mount Vernon - $725

• Soroptomist Club  of Mount Vernon- $2,900

Then a SURPRISE happened during the Food For The Hungry Broadcast. The VFW Post 4027 in Mount Vernon brought in a check for $5,000! This surprise donation put our 2022 total at $9,146! The VFW Post 4027 receives special recognition this year!
Thanks to ALL Service Clubs and members!

 

Mount Vernon Nazarene University hosted several collection points and events through the Faith Works Program – to create hunger awareness on campus and raise funds for both food and client services.

• Hunger Feast: $60 

• Sanctum: $520.60 

• Euchre Tournament: $61 

• Bring a Buck Chapel: $153.24 

• Christmas Party: $123

• Happy Bean: $330.44 

• Snowflake Gala Table Sponsorship: $800

• Purchases in the Snowflake Gala Fund-A-Cause Auction: $750

• Basketball Game: $650  

• Online Donations - $2,065 

• MVNU’s Total - $5,513.28

Mount Vernon Nazarene University presented the Stephen W. Zelkowitz Memorial Award to Marcy and Joe Rinehart. The nominating committee could think of no other person or couple who deserved the award more. Joe and Marcy have been the ‘gas to the FFTH engine’ for thirty years, giving of their time, energy and passion. Marcy, as on-air host and off-air organizer extraordinaire, and Joe, behind the scenes directing the broadcasts, have set an example for us all.  Over the years, countless MVNU students have volunteered to stay after fall finals were over to assist in the production and learn first-hand how broadcasting truly works. Joe and Marcy are the first two-time winners of this award, signaling both their longevity but more importantly, their belief in sharing kindness and generosity. There wasn’t a dry eye in the theater as Rachel, the Rinehart’s daughter, announced the winners on video from Florida where she now works. The tears continued, mingled with laughter as Joe and Marcy listened as Audrey Spearman shared some ‘fun facts’ about each and then as first Joe, and then Marcy, shared their appreciation. In total, during their involvement with the drive since the early 90's, FFTH has raised over five million dollars that has assisted our neighbors within Knox County.

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The 12th Annual Turkey Trot 5K Run/Walk was held on Thanksgiving morning on the campus of Mount Vernon Nazarene University. WeRunMV hosted this annual fundraiser to benefit Food For The Hungry. 

Donations totaled $1,710 and 548 food items. 217 runners/walkers and multiple dogs participated.

 

Mount Vernon Dental (along with Super Q 93.7 WQIO) collected $4,843!

They hosted Food For The Hungry Awareness Remote

Broadcasts, plus collected donations at the dental office.

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The Knox County Park District “Fire and Ice” Event to benefit Food For The Hungry raised a total of $1,000 and 1 Truckload of Food!
 

2022 Collection Point Totals:

APPLE VALLEY/HOWARD:

Red Rover Marathon - ____ food items and $________

 

CENTERBURG: 
Interchurch Branch – 46 food items and $108

Hometown Market: _____ food items and $________
Total: ____ food items and $102

 

DANVILLE: 
Interchurch Branch – 99 food items and $850

Hometown Market - _____ food items and $_______
Total: ____ food items and $1,055.44

 

FREDERICKTOWN:

Interchurch Branch – 863 food items and $1,076.57

BellStores - _____ food items and $2.00

 

GAMBIER: 

The Village Market - 561 food items and $1,416

 

MOUNT VERNON: 
Aldi – 512 food items and $349
 

Lanning’s Foods - 543 food items and $272
 

Baker’s IGA – 432 food items and $345
 

Lowes – 112 food items and $486

Wal-Mart Supercenter - 575 food items and $240 

 

Ohio Eastern Star and Gallagher Center - $140
 

The Knox Memorial – 3,283 food (which equals 2.6 truckloads) and $10,936

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THANK YOU for doing YOUR part to fight hunger in our community!

God BLESS you this Christmas!

You can stay updated and see pictures and videos at www.foodforthehungrycares.org
Click on the connect button and you’ll see a link to photo gallery and a video gallery.

 

The video archive of Saturday’s broadcast is also available at MVNU.tv in the

on-demand tab.

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Food For The Hungry - Working together to care for our neighbors.

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