Calvary's Lenten Food Drive Challenge

Written by: Kate Snyder, Development and Donor Communications Coordinator

"This is a serious need, but we don't have to solemn about it -- even in Lent!"

That's the tag line for Calvary Episcopal Church's highly competitive Lenten Food Drive to benefit East End Cooperative Ministry's Have a Heart for Hunger campaign. The three clergy leaders of the congregation have divided their parishioners into teams by last name.

The teams -- Harold's Helping Hands, Leslie's Lifelines, and Nate's Natural Givers -- will compete to see which group can bring in the most bags of non-perishable food items during the six week drive.

To provide direction to the participants, each week focuses on different food items:

Week 1 -- peanut butter, jelly and jam, pancake mix and syrup

Week 2 -- canned tuna, spaghetti sauce, soup

Week 3 -- canned fruit, canned vegetables

Week 4 -- rice, dried beans and peas, coffee

Week 5 -- pasta, hamburger helper, instant mashed potatoes

Week 6 -- dry cereal, powdered milk, instant pudding

All the food pictured here was collected during week one! Wow. I'll keep you posted as to the results of the Food Drive. No matter which team comes out ahead in the competition, the clear winners are the clients of EECM's Food Pantry.