Community Partnership Helps Feed Needy Families in Erie

Oct. 10, 2008 - The ERIE was the top contributor in the third annual Community Harvest for Hunger, collecting 526 pounds of food.

Employees from Erie Insurance, Saint Vincent Health Center and the Erie Times-News in Erie, Pa., recently teamed up with the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania for the food drive.

For the past eight weeks, a Second Harvest Food Bank truck was parked outside of The ERIE’s Home Office on Wednesday mornings for Employees to drop off their fresh fruits and vegetables, most grown in their own gardens.

The drive ended Oct. 3. The partnership contributed a total of 1,170 pounds of food, a seven percent increase from last year.

Melissa Ferrie, Corporate Communications events and community relations planner, helped organize and publicize the event at the Home Office. “Employees’ response to this year’s Community Harvest for Hunger was amazing, although it was no surprise,” she said. “When people in the community are in need, the ERIE family is always first in line to lend a helping hand.”

Karen Seggi, director of the Second Harvest Food Bank, appreciates The ERIE’s efforts. “ERIE does so much to help the Second Harvest Food Bank and we’re very grateful for their support throughout the year,” she said. “They do so much for the Erie area, and the Community Harvest for Hunger is just another way they contribute.”

The annual donations do make a difference for struggling families in Erie. “This event is a great way for Employees with green thumbs to share their over-grown gardens with others,” Ferrie said. “It’s nice to know that instead of all those delicious and healthy crops going to waste, people in Erie can benefit from them.”

Second Harvest Food Bank is the largest non-profit food distribution organization of Northwest Pennsylvania. They serve 252 member agencies in 11 counties. Last year alone, they collected 7 million pounds of food. Since its opening in 1982, a total of 137 million pounds of food and grocery products have been distributed to the needy.

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