Posted: Nov. 1, 2017 8:20 pm Updated: Nov. 1, 2017 9:00 pm
QUINCY -- County Markets throughout the region have begun their annual Fall Harvest campaign -- a food drive that brings in enough canned goods to sustain the Salvation Army food pantry in Quincy for a whole year.
Heidi Welty, regional social services director at the Salvation Army of Quincy, said the shelves of the Salvation Army food pantry become "terribly bare" this time of year.
"It's always a struggle," Welty said Tuesday. "We didn't have a lot of food last week."
The Fall Harvest campaign, with the canned goods it brings in, is one of the biggest food drives for the Salvation Army each year.
"If we didn't have it, I don't know how we would get through," Welty said. "We try to hold on to the canned goods, and it gets us through to the next year at this time."
The Salvation Army food pantry gives out 10 to 20 food boxes and serves more than 100 people daily.
"The impact is huge because of the number of families we're serving," Welty said. "It's people in this community who are OK trying to help those who are not."
The Fall Harvest features Hope Bags filled with nonperishable food items displayed at County Markets in Quincy and the surrounding area. Each Hope Bag may be purchased for $5, a significant reduction in price for the items contained in the bag, said Gerry Kettler, director of consumer affairs at Niemann Foods, parent company of County Markets. Each bag contains items that can be put together to make a complete meal.
"We don't want anyone to go hungry, especially during this time of year, when we are all so thankful for what we're given," Kettler said.
The Fall Harvest campaign began in Quincy over two decades ago. It has since expanded companywide to encompass more than 50 Niemann Foods retail locations. Many Pet Supplies Plus, Save-A-Lots and Niemann Foods convenience stories have joined the campaign.
"It's our privilege to be able to help the communities that support us," Kettler said. "People don't always know what they can do. This is a direct way of helping."
This year's Fall Harvest continues through Nov. 20.
