Good Samaritan Ministries is once again participating in the Feinstein Challenge and has collected over $37,000 as of March 16th–which is over one third of the way to meeting their goal of $100,000.

For the 14th year in a row, Alan Shawn Feinstein has put up $1 million of his own money to aid anti-hunger agencies throughout the country in their fight against hunger.  The Feinstein Challenge:  March Against Hunger Campaign began on March 1st and will run through the end of April.  All monetary donations during these two months count toward the total collected.  The more money GSM collects, the larger portion of the Feinstein money awarded.

The challenge also includes a way that local schools, girls/boy scout troops, or anyone willing to participate can contribute.  Any canned goods collected during the challenge can be counted as $1 per can.  Last year, GSM raised $98,448 during the challenge, an increase from the year before.

This year’s goal is $100,000 and GSM is well on its way with collections totaling $37,108.83; however they do need help to meet the challenge while filling the needs of the hungry in our community.

If you don’t think you have the money to give, but you can motivate your company, employees, students or friends to gather food items, here’s the perfect chance.  A great example of how an individual can make a difference is Aaron Pulley who recently raised 4,273 pounds of food during a food drive which benefited GSM’s Food Pantry and was organized to help him earn his Eagle Scout designation.  This food drive counted as $4273 toward Good Samaritan Ministry’s Feinstein Challenge goal.

Some current needs in the Food Pantry include peanut butter, dry pinto beans, bread, Vienna sausage, and non-refrigerated pudding cups.

The Backpacks for Kids program that supplies backpacks full of shelf-stable, kid-friendly food to chronically hungry children in Brown County schools, needs the pudding and peanut butter as it has become more difficult to come by at the Food Bank.

Also, please keep in mind, that since GSM purchases food from the Food Bank, GSM can make donated money stretch further than individuals can at the regular grocery store. They are able to purchase food for 18¢ per pound so monetary donations of any amount really do go a long way to feed the hungry in the community.

Anyone interested in donating items or planning a food drive, please make note of these current needs.   Please bring food donations to the Food Pantry during regular business hours unless you have made prior arrangements: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:00am to 1:00pm or Wednesday from 1 to 5:00pm.  For more information, please give Good Samaritan Ministries a call at 325-643-2273.

And, if you’re tired of the same ole’ thing, here is a list of creative food drive ideas:

• Canstructure: Have different departments/grades build items out of canned goods. Employees/students could then vote with their spare change on the structure they like best. The winning team would receive a prize. All the canned goods and funds are then donated to the Food Pantry.

• Rock the Vote: Have employees/students vote with their spare change (or even dollars) for an executive or teacher who will have to complete an agreed upon activity. The individual with the most votes may have to kiss a cow, shave their head or be hit in the face with a pie.

• Company Matches: Encourage your company to match your cash donation. Speak to your company management or Human Resource Department about a financial match program.

• Church Collection: Encourage your congregation to request an offering with donations to benefit the community Food Pantry.

• Loose Change: Have a “loose change” bin sitting at your company’s cafeteria or break room. As employees eat lunch they can put their loose change in the collection bin to be donated to the community Food Pantry.

• Penny Wars: Find large glass jars, place in rooms and have a race to see who can fill up their jars with pennies. Adding bills to an opposing team’s jar requires them to subtract money from their total amount. If you put in a $5 bill, the other team takes $5 off their total.

• Incentive Programs: Work with organizations in your community to establish food drive incentive programs. For example, if a person donates$25 to your event then they receive a “buy one, get one free” movie coupon or a discounted purchase at a local business.

• Preferred Food Items: Utilize the list of current food needs and designate “items of the day” for people to donate each day.

• Shopping Cart Race: Organize a race between the police chief and sheriff (or other local leaders). Contestants race through the grocery store to fill carts with food items for the Food Pantry. The cart with the most food in the allotted time wins. Businesses or civic groups “back” one participant or the other and pay for the cart of groceries.

• For Youth Groups: Youth group members can “kidnap” their youth leader, minister or priest. The ransom is food for the Food Pantry from the adult members.

• Business vs. Business: Challenge your major market competitor to see whose employees can collect more? (Banks, real estate agencies, insurance agencies, etc.)

• Teachers and Staff vs. Students: Who can collect more from their family and friends? Teachers or students?

• For the church: The pastor will set a goal to gather specific types of food. If the congregation meets the goal, the pastor (or pastoral staff) will dress up like the food or a pre-determined costume.

• Giving Tree: Decorate a tree with ornaments that list suggested Food Pantry donations. Encourage parishioners to bring those items (or cash) back the following week.