Penn State's Innovation Park is conducting its third annual food drive during the week of Oct. 25. Each year, the food drive benefits a Centre County food bank; this year's contributions will aid the Howard Food Bank. Nonperishable foods including canned goods and boxed items such as macaroni and cheese, Hamburger Helper and cereal, in addition to cleaning and laundry products, may be dropped off at any of Innovation Park's 10 buildings between Oct. 25 and 28. Donations from the entire Penn State Community are welcomed and appreciated. For more information, call Colette Orlandi at 814-865-9519.
The past two food drive recipients were the State College and Bellefonte food banks; last year's drive netted more than 2,300 pounds of food. The food drive is a concerted effort by the Innovation Park community, comprised of about 60 tenants.
Food banks serve many families, and nearly half of the people served by U.S. food pantries live in households with at least one working adult. These individuals must try to make ends meet on low wages that simply cannot cover mortgage or rent payments, the cost of prescriptions and medical care, utility bills, car payments and fuel costs, and food.