MANSFIELD — For 14 years, the ‘Make a Difference’ food drive has brought in a wave of donations to restock local food pantries. This year was no different, with a total of 20,193 items donated over the weekend.
Doc Stumbo, spokesman for Graham Automall, said that pantries requested heartier stock this year and the community delivered.
“We had the best stuff we’ve ever gotten,” said Stumbo. “The pantries wanted canned meat, tuna, pasta. We got all that this year.”
The drive accepted non-perishable items at various drop-off points Friday and Saturday. On Monday morning, nine trucks and one van from Graham Automall were loaded up to make deliveries to the Salvation Army, the Domestic Violence Shelter of Richland County, Volunteers of America, Harmony House and Catholic Charities.
“I’ve been around all these agencies and they hand out food, they run out especially around Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said Stumbo. “A lot of people think it’s a good economy here, and it is, but some people still struggle.”
Brian Hunt, a crisis navigator with Catholic Charities, said the drive came “at just the right time.”
“We serve just under 700 families a month,” said Brian Hunt, a crisis navigator with Catholic Charities’ Mansfield office. “Our shelves were getting low. We’re busier than ever.”
Stumbo thanked all who donated, as well as the volunteers who collected and sorted the items.
“Richland County is a great people,” he said. “They’ll help you any way they can.”
Donations came in until the last minute, with one woman bringing the last 51 items directly to Graham Automall Monday morning.
“It’s absolutely wonderful to know that we have that many friends and neighbors that are willing to lend a hand,” Hunt said. “It’s just amazing to see that many people come together to help out.”
