The 12th annual Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church Fill the Truck event is underway and accepting nonperishable food donations.
Deacons Katie Walker and co-moderator Kim Power are hopeful that donations will pile up because food banks are in need.
“We work as a team, and this year, more than ever, food banks need food,” Walker said.
Anyone can donate and organizers are hoping to spread the word about the drive throughout the neighboring Fox Chapel-area communities.
Donations can be dropped off at the church. An Amazon wish list is available for anyone who wants to donate and have the items delivered directly to the church along Field Club Road.
“The biggest thing is now a lot of food banks are low on food after the holidays,” Walker said. “We want to give them a surplus of food.”
Longtime volunteer and Fox Chapel resident Joe Brancati volunteers as a truck driver each year.
“Every year, he donates the truck, drives with us and helps. It’s nice that even though he’s not a member of the church, this event is a community event. Anyone can donate,” Power said.
Last year, the drive collected more than 150 boxes of food.
Accepted items include any nonperishable goods and toiletries. This year’s event will culminate from 8 a.m. to noon Feb. 8 in the church’s parking lot, 384 Fox Chapel Road.
A box truck will be filled and distributed on Feb. 8 to three local food banks: St. Vincent de Paul in Sharpsburg, the Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center in Indiana Township and Bread of Life in Etna.
The pantries serve families in the Fox Chapel Area School District.
“Paper products are expensive for us to buy — and toilet paper, Kleenex and paper towels. Juice for kids and crackers for soup. We get a lot of soup, but we need crackers and, of course, the boxed mac and cheese that’s a staple,” said Alexis Weber, Bread of Life pantry manager, as she listed needs.
Besides paper products, other much-needed items include diapers, toiletries, pet supplies and cleaning items.
Weber said donations are greatly needed at Bread of Life, which was established in 1989 after a devastating flood in the borough.
“Last year was a hard year for us, and we served about 150 families per month. Everyone in need gets a ‘full shop’ that includes meat, fish, eggs, nonperishables, milk, dairy and fresh vegetables. Inflation is high and people are suffering,” Weber said.
Weber praised the community and volunteers for organizing the food outreach.
“We would not be able to give the quality or quantity if it wasn’t for this large food drive. We really bank on that and receive hundreds of items. The Fox Chapel community is so generous,” Weber said. “The name-brand foods that our families get, well, they don’t always have that. We believe in the food pantry. We are our brothers’ keepers and want to service everyone.”
Don Boyd, a deacon at Fox Chapel Presbyterian Church, has volunteered at St. Mary Catholic Church’s food bank serving Sharpsburg for 15 years.
“We’re in tremendous need because we’ve almost tripled — serving 55 clients last year to 140 now. The need is the most I’ve ever seen,” Boyd said.
Boyd said any and all donations are welcome, but canned fruits and vegetables, peanut butter and jelly, mac and cheese, soups, pasta, rice and beans are popular foods enjoyed by clients.
To donate items on the Amazon wish list and have them shipped to the church, visit tinyurl.com/2mscpdcn.