Brenda Ruby | Altrusa International of Centre County
The Fourth of July brings picnics celebrating patriotism, but just a week later, Altrusa International of Centre County is having a Patriotic Picnic food drive to fight food insecurity, or the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food. On Saturday July 11 from noon to 4PM, Altrusa will be collecting food and money donations at two Weis Markets: the one on South Atherton in State College and the one on Buckaroo Lane in Bellefonte. Pick-up will also be available for those that can’t get to the drop-off points; we’ll curry your donations out for you. Altrusa relishes the opportunity to help out, and they have mustard enough support to help food banks ketchup on their stocked items. We understand what it’s like to guac a mile in another person’s shoes.
On a serious note, when you take a family living paycheck to paycheck, then throw in a pandemic, you have the perfect recipe for increased food insecurity. With businesses closed, layoffs, and sheltering in place, many families that were “getting by” before need extra help from food banks, leading to an increase in food bank usage. The food bank’s supplies need to be replenished. In addition, with the recent economic downturn, members of our community are struggling to keep their pets well nourished. To keep beloved companion animals in their homes where possible, and to take care of them in shelters when it isn’t, pet food and supplies are also needed to keep pets in our region healthy and happy.
Members of Altrusa understood that food banks would be in a pickle and a jam, and when they heard that the State College Food Bank had a need for condiments, that’s when Altrusa’s food drive known as the Patriotic Picnic was born (it’s kind of a big dill). Crumb to think of it, while condiments are the focus of the food drive, all qualified food donations will be accepted, as well as cleaning supplies and pet food and supplies, since pets are also having a ruff time. Olive the food donations will be distributed to the State College Food Bank and the FaithCentre Food Bank in Bellefonte, and pet supplies will be divided between FaithCentre’s Pet Food Pantry and the Central PA Humane Society. Now is the thyme; don’t pasta opportunity to give. Thank you, and mayo enjoy puns as much as we do.