The Peorian

Thu03282024

Last updateMon, 15 Jun 2020 10pm

Back You are here: Home News News Non-Profit Stuff-A-Bus campaign kicks off Friday

Stuff-A-Bus campaign kicks off Friday

FH-new-logo-paths
Log in to save this page.

The number of sponsors for the Peoria Friendship House's Stuff-A-Bus campaign is growing and organizers hope the amount of food does, as well.

After all, said Friendship House executive director Barbara Hartnett, it does not appear the need for the food is diminishing now or will any time soon.

"We really do need the food. It is still really, really tough for a lot of people out there," Hartnett said just ahead of the official kickoff of the 24th annual Stuff-A-Bus campaign, which is Friday at 10:30 a.m. at the Kroger store at 9219 N. Lindbergh Drive.

Kroger and CityLink, which also provides the bus, are the chief co-sponsors of the event.

Hartnett said more than 52,000 meals were served by Friendship House in 2010, either through its free daily breakfast program, its Sunday soup kitchen and its weekly food pantry. She expects 2011 numbers to be as high if not higher because there are more people unable to afford sufficient food for themselves or their children.

"I have no reason to believe it will be down this year or that it is trending down," she said.

The food donated through the Stuff-A-Bus campaign is used for the organization's food pantry. In years past enough food was received through the Stuff-A-Bus campaign to keep the Friendship House food pantry stocked for up nine months. In 2011, it was depleted by the end of February even though a record 12.2 tons of food was donated.

"We really hope to surpass that this year. We need more food for our programs," she said.

The campaign officially begins Nov. 1 and runs through Nov. 30, with the final weight of the food in the bus and overflow announced Dec. 1. But Hartnett said food donations will add up well into December.

Hartnett said the number of sponsors is growing. This year media partners are 97.3 River Country, Power 92.3, WYZZ Fox 43, WMBD CBS31 and CIPROUD.Com and they will air public service announcements about the great need to collect enough food in order to keep the Peoria Friendship House food pantry open all year long.

Some events aimed at increasing donations include:

• On Wednesday, Nov. 2 and Wednesday, Nov. 9, CityLink commuters can ride the bus for free in exchange for a non-perishable food item.

• Kroger stores in Peoria, East Peoria and Bartonville will have pre-bagged food donations and cash coupons available for purchase to make giving even easier. The contents of $3, $5 and $10 bags have been selected to provide a good balance of nutritional items. Drop off boxes at sites around the city will also be available.

• The Willies, one of Peoria's favorite party bands will be performing at Crusen's War Memorial Drive on Friday, Nov. 11, starting at 6:30 p.m. A donation of a non-perishable food item at the door will receive a discount on admission.

Paul Gordon is editor of The Peorian. He can be reached at 692-7880 or at editor@thepeorian.com

 

About the Author
Paul Gordon is the editor of The Peorian after spending 29 years of indentured servitude at the Peoria Journal Star. He’s an award-winning writer, raconteur and song-and-dance man. He also went to a high school whose team name is the Alices (that’s Vincennes Lincoln High School in Indiana; you can look it up).