WINONA LAKE - Lakeland Christian Academy will hold its third annual communitywide food drive next week.
Peggi Lisenbee-Wright, Combined Community Service's director of emergency assistance, said, "Our food pantry currently serves close to 600 families monthly throughout the county. Family size has increased significantly with the economy forcing families to move in together. We have seen continued growth in need and it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep the pantry stocked. LCA's annual food drive comes at a perfect time to help. School is back is session and the holidays are not yet here. Generally, September and October are difficult months to keep enough food in the pantry."
The food drive will benefit CCS. With the public's help, LCA hopes to "stock the shelves" at CCS.
"We are excited to again partner with CCS and our generous community," said Carmen Flores, food drive coordinator. "Last year we collected food valued at over $33,000. The community has been so supportive of this food drive."
Monday, all LCA students, faculty and staff will leave brightly colored fliers and paper sacks with information about the food drive on door steps throughout the community.
The students will return to these same homes on Wednesday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. to collect the non-perishable food items. Residents may place food items in boxes or the bags and leave them outside their front door. If a home is missed, call 574-267-7265 and someone will come out for the donation.
After all the food is collected, it will be delivered and sorted on the CCS lawn and carried up to their storage area.
Suggested non-perishable food items include macaroni and cheese, pancake mix/syrup, cereal, jelly, breakfast pastries, canned meat, canned vegetables (especially beans, carrots, potatoes), rice, snacks, chips, cookies, cakes, spaghetti sauce, Helper meals and oatmeal.Foods that are not needed right now include canned corn, dry northern beans, dry milk and peanut butter.
Some of the neighborhoods LCA will be visiting next week on the food drive include the town of Winona Lake, Stone Camp, Lamppost, Stonehenge, Lexington, Heritage Lake, The Dells, River Lawn, Valley Springs, Blackberry Trace, Summerfield, The Meadows, Deerwood Park, Brookshire, Ferguson Road, Pheasant Ridge, Granite Ridge, Patterson Place, Deeds Creek Manor, Deeds Creek, Southtown Estates,Wildwood Estates, Country Garden Estates, Woodfield Manor, Southbrook Park, Packerton Road, Cherry Creek, Autumn Ridge, Barrington, Old Farm, Fox Run, The Pines, North Winds, Lake Forest, Timber Ridge, Hunters Ridge, Hickory Estates, Shadow Lakes and Harrison Landing.
Call LCA at 574-267-7265 with questions or for additional information about the food drive.
