Local Make A Difference Day food drive marks 20th year

Twenty years ago Doc Stumbo and Tom Brennan, former Mansfield News Journal managing editor now retired, decided to start a food drive for Make A Difference Day.

Stumbo said he saw where USA Today was doing Make A Difference Day projects and he came to the News Journal to discuss organizing a food drive, and the annual event has continued for two decades.

"This is a bad year and people are really having a hard time buying groceries with rent being increased and gas prices so high," he said this week. "Every little bit people donate helps the community."

The annual Make A Difference Day food and supply drive to benefit Wayfinders (formerly Harmony House) and Catholic Charities will kick off at 7 a.m. Oct. 20 in the parking area of Dan Lew Exchange, 28 N. Main St.

Doc Stumbo, a co-founder of the Make A Difference Day food drive in Richland County 20 years ago, and Sue Dyson, who oversees the Catholic Charities food pantry, Monday talked about the need for items including Ramen noodles. which the pantry always runs out of. The food drive is Oct. 20 from 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. outside Dan Lew Exchange on North Main Street and helps restock the pantries at Catholic Charities and Wayfinders.

The event is a drive-thru collection of nonperishable food items, toiletries and financial donations, according to Stumbo.

'The need is greater than ever in 2023'

"It's been wonderful to have been a big part of Make a Difference Day for 20 years," said David Yonke, News Journal editor. "We know that thousands of people have been helped by this important outreach, and as Doc said, the need is greater than ever in 2023. We are grateful for everyone in the community who has donated in the past and for all who are ready to help again this year."

This year the event, aimed at restocking food pantries, will run from 7 to 10 a.m. Oct. 20 at Dan Lew Exchange on the square in front of the former H.L. Reed Building, where cash, checks, canned goods and nonperishable food items and toiletries and paper products can be dropped off, Stumbo said.

The food drive will continue all day, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 20 at two sites, Wayfinders (Harmony House), 124 W. Third St., and Catholic Charities, 523 Park Avenue East. Residents are encouraged to drop off donations of cash, checks, canned goods and nonperishable food items at these sites. Checks should be made payable to Catholic Charities or Wayfinders. Donations by credit/debit card also accepted.

Make a Difference Day was created by “USA Weekend” magazine in 1992 to offer community support and encourage volunteerism across the country. Points of Light, a nonprofit organization founded by former U.S. President George H. W. Bush, is the official co-sponsor of Make a Difference Day. Ever since its inception, Make a Difference Day has echoed in 30 countries and has inspired over 30 million volunteer hours.

Dyson said trucks filled with nonperishable food items come to the food pantry and other food pantries in Richland County regularly and bring much-needed items.

Sue Dyson, who oversees the Catholic Charities food pantry at 523 Park Avenue West, said specialty items are also appreciated including baking items such as flour.
Sue Dyson, who oversees the Catholic Charities food pantry at 523 Park Avenue West, said specialty items are also appreciated including baking items such as flour.

"We can get large quantities of items from the food bank when it comes to milk and canned goods and things like that," she said, pointing to a sparsely filled shelf in the pantry under a sign called miscellaneous. She said she tells people the food pantry is always in need of items such as salt and pepper, ketchup, things that people take for granted in their homes in their cupboards and on their refrigerator door.

Here are some items that are needed

Items also needed include canned corn and coffee, cake mixes, flour, sugar and canned corn.

"Bring the food if you want to, that's always wonderful, but with checks and cash we can buy so much more from the Cleveland Food Bank," she said. "We get the basics, the staples in large quantity, the canned goods, the spaghetti, the milk. Those large quantity items come to us from the food bank usually free but we pay the delivery. It costs money to get it here even though the food might be free."

Dyson gave an example of a truck which delivered food to the pantry from the Cleveland Food Bank recently.

"Today's truck was 5,800 pounds," she said. "It was like six pallets of food. Dollars go very, very far with the food bank."

Dyson said the food pantry is almost back to pre-pandemic numbers. Not only food costs but people's rent has jumped up this year. And the price of gas is up, she noted.

"People have to cut somewhere. If it's medicine they have to get, they have to cut somewhere," she added.

Dyson said both local Walmart stores and Sam's Club provide donations to food pantries every day.

Stephanie Johnson of Wayfinders, formerly known as Harmony House, said there is always a need for paper towels, and disposable plastic ware — forks, knives, spoons, and plastic cups.

"We have a great amount of children so milk would be appreciated," Johnson said.

"Nonperishable items are greatly needed," she said. "Meat is something we could use for the families here."

Johnson said the homeless shelter always needs toiletries, cleaning supplies including those for toilets, pillows and anything residents want to donate.

"We're starting to spike back up again and get busier," she said of the shelter for men, women and children. "It's just starting to get colder outside."

Sponsors of the event include Mid-State Multimedia Group, WMFD, Mix 106.1, 107.7 WRGM Mansfield, 97.3 SPUR and Dan Lew Exchange.

Anyone who may need someone to pick up donations at their work or home may contact Stumbo, who will come and get the donation.

For information, contact Stumbo at 419-524-0733 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

lwhitmir@gannett.com

419-521-7223

X (formerly Twitter): @LWhitmir

This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Event held to restock food pantries at Catholic Charities, Wayfinders