E. ALLEN TWP., Pa. – We’re just days away from the 10th annual “Food Truck Food Drive”.
WFMZ is teaming up with Dorney Park and GIANT to host the drive at the amusement park in South Whitehall Township.
You can help us reach our goal of raising 10,000 pounds of food for Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley and Northeast Pennsylvania.
69 News reporter Cierra Genelle stopped by the food bank in Northampton County on Monday to see what donations they are looking for.
“It’s neighbors helping neighbors,” said Sarah Wassel, Associate Executive Director of the Second Harvest Food Bank
The warehouse in East Allen Township is making extra space for donations to pile in.
“This food is for any of our neighbors within the six-county region that we serve,” said Wassel.
On Saturday, April 25, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., stop on by Dorney Park’s parking lot and drop off your donations.
“You drive through with your car,” said Wassel. “We have volunteers there who are willing to grab the stuff right out of your car.”
Then, you can grab a bite to eat from some of your favorite local food trucks.
If you’re wondering what to donate, Wassel says to think about non-perishable proteins and non-expired products packaged in boxes, cans and plastic.
“Such as canned tuna, canned chicken, canned salmon, pasta and rice and peanut butter and jelly,” Wassel explained.
Child-friendly foods and personal care items are also accepted.
Donations can be as simple as whatever is already in your pantry.
“We have multiple bins that we collect all the food. We actually sort it right there,” said Wassel.
Immediately following the food drive, volunteers will then box up the donations at the Second Harvest Food Bank warehouse and distribute them to food pantries throughout the Lehigh Valley.
“It will get very busy. So basically, we’ll start making shifts two or three times a week, three-hour shifts, where volunteers will come,” said Omar Perez, Commodity Supplemental Food Program Supervisor of the Second Harvest Food Bank.
Perez showed us how volunteers organize the donations and tape the boxes before they are distributed.
“We don’t want to make it too heavy where the participant can’t carry it, but we don’t want to make it too light either,” said Perez.
“When you say you don’t want to make the box ‘too heavy’, the fact that you have the opportunity to make that box heavy, shows a lot of people are donating. How does that feel?” asked Genelle.
“Oh, it’s amazing. There is a big need. Knowing that the community comes together to help us out just fills everybody here’s heart,” said Perez.
Organizers say the event is rain or shine.