Details on a Californian food drive

from the Hanford Sentinel

This story was to help drum up donations to afood drive. Many of the locations listed at the end had empty collection barrels well into the food drive. - Kale

By Shawbong Fok

A food drive launched by 13 businesses in downtown Hanford earlier in July seeks to collect 7,500 pounds of food by month's end -- enough to feed 300 needy families. The drive comes at a time when the slowing economy has pinched the wallets of Kings County residents amid spiking gas and food prices. As a result, more and more families are struggling to make ends meet, according to some of the business employees and owners involved in the drive.

The food drive is meant to help needy families fill their bellies, especially as donations slow down during the summer.

Castaways Concepts, a consignment store, is one such business that plans to help the poor. Already, it has collected pasta, beans and oatmeal, among other non-perishable foods, that will go to Kings Community Action Organization (KCAO), a local nonprofit which every month feeds low-income families from the emergency food pantry.

"People have trouble making ends meet these days," said Eryn Gray, marketer for Castaways Concepts and the organizer of the downtown food drive.

The donations from the stores, all of which will go to KCAO, are meant to help cushion the economic blow that some families are facing.

Gray herself is one victim of the imploding economy. She ekes out a living making $8 a hour, and pays everything from gas and food to credit card bills and entertainment.

With the sharp jump in energy and food costs, she sometimes has to put off payment on her credit card and skip out on filling her gas tank.

"I find rides if I can," she said, explaining the way she gets around town.

Gray isn't the only Kings County resident feeling the pain.

Kings County is noted for its high poverty rate and jobs in farming, food services and retail, many of which pay at or barely above minimum wage.

"There's a lot of hungry people in this county and city," said Harriet Johnson, a sales clerk at Workingman's Store, a clothing retailer involved in the downtown food drive. "Lots of people work minimum wage jobs, which are hard to support one person let alone a family. We're here to help for a good cause."

Here's a list of participating businesses:

Castaways Concepts

210 N. Irwin St.

Hanford, CA 93230

582-0730

Workingman’s

216 N. Irwin St.

Hanford, CA 93230

584-3914

Country Hutch

126 W. Seventh St.

Hanford, CA 93230

585-0602

Miller’s Jewelry

131 W. Seventh St.

Hanford, CA 93230

584-8215

Panache Salon

123 W. Seventh St.

Hanford, CA 93230

582-2976

The Crossroads

122 W. Seventh St.

Hanford, CA 93230

584-4445

Artisans

111 W. Seventh St.

Hanford, CA 93230

582-5719

American Home & Gift

108 W. Seventh St.

Hanford, CA 93230

(559) 582-4651

FTG

210 N. Douty St.

Hanford, CA 93230

585-8675

Artworks

120 W. Sixth St.

Hanford, CA 93230

583-8790

Candice & Co.

117 W. Seventh St.

Hanford, CA 93230

589-0201

Scentiments

110 W. Seventh St.

Hanford, CA 93230

584-1580

Treasure Bin

221 N. Irwin St.

Hanford, CA 93230

584-5131

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