Blair County Food Drive addresses growing need in area

ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — The Blair County Food Drive is expanding, now planning to accept donations at three different locations.

While expanding the food drive is expected to have a positive impact, the reason for the change is because there’s a growing number of people in the area in need of support.

“There are a lot of families that are having to choose between, ‘Do we pay for our rent? Do we pay utilities? Do we put food on the table? What about medicine?'” said Denice Stone, founder of the Blair County Food Drive.

The food drive supports 26 different nonprofit groups:

• 28th Street Food Pantry.
• Hollidaysburg Tiger Pack Program.
• Overflow Church Community Meals.
• St. Vincent De Paul Soup Kitchen.
• Altoona Mt. Lion Backpack Program.
• Gloria Gates Memorial Foundation.
• Ivy Side Eats.
• St. Luke’s Food Pantry.
• The Fathers House Soup Kitchen.
• Claysburg Backpack Program.
• Roaring Spring Food Pantry.
• American Rescue Workers.
• Dorothy Day Outreach Center.
• Home Nursing Agency.
• City Blessings.
• Women’s Domestic Abuse Shelter.
• The Lion’s Pantry.
• Teeen Shelter.
• Family Resource Center Blair County.
• Blair Family Solutions.
• Roaring Spring Library Food Pantry.
• Claysburg Food Pantry.
• Martinsburg Food Pantry.
• Reaping Food Ministries.
• Assumption Chapel Food Pantry.

According to organizers with the food drive, the donations from the community support a large number of people getting food from these nonprofits, covering all age groups from infants to senior citizens.

“The amount of different organizations that we’re giving to, they have so many different circumstances of families that are coming in and needing the food this year and having the third location is going to make a huge difference,” Stone said.

While the food drive accepts donations to provide those in need with a holiday meal, organizers also stress the importance of food items that will support families all year.

“We are looking for anything and everything, and a lot of people say, with being close to Thanksgiving, a lot of people say, ‘Do you need Thanksgiving items?’ No, we need a little bit of everything because we are giving to three different backpack programs this year and, you know, you wouldn’t give a turkey to a kid carrying a backpack. It’s just not going to work,” Stone said.

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Donations of non-perishable food items can be dropped off at:

• Altoona Sam’s Club from Nov. 1 to 10.
• Duncansville Walmart from Nov. 4 to 10.
• Altoona Walmart from Nov. 4 to 10.

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