Image courtesy of Wendy Pittman

Today is the final day for a friendly competition between several groups in Greene County joining together in support of one worthy cause.

Wendy Pittman with the First Presbyterian Church in Jefferson says Greene County Youth Groups, of all participating churches in the county, have been collecting non-perishable food for most of the month that is going to be given to the local food pantry, the Greene County Action Resource Center (ARC). Shirley Haupert is the manager of the ARC and she explains an example of the increased need for individuals and families was from another donation of canned goods she received from the First United Methodist Church recently of pork and beans and chili beans.

“The one stack of food had like 85 cans in it. And they said, ‘Well how long will this last? That’ll last quite a while,’ and I says, ‘That’ll last me one week.’ Because with 40 families coming through (per week) and if they each take two cans of beans, pork and beans-chili beans, that’s 80 cans, that’s it.” 

Items that the youth groups are collecting include canned vegetables and fruit, muffin mix, and instant potato packages. Greene County Youth Groups will be stopping by through today to pick up those items that are left on front porches with their lights on. People can also drop off their donations to the First Presbyterian Church in Jefferson as well.