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Wednesday, 01 April 2009 |
By MIKE BURKHOLDER
Managing Editor
ST. MARYS — Local students, volunteers and members of a fitness center teamed up Tuesday afternoon to bring to an end a monthlong food drive for Agape Ministries.
 Staff photo/Mike Burkholder: Mark Zink, left, and Ben Schamt Tuesday afternoon load groceries from Curves in St. Marys that will be donated to Agape Ministries.
Members of Curves in St. Marys collected 608 pounds of food and home supplies that were delivered to Agape with the help of two St. Marys Roughrider football players. Fitness tech Chris Heitkamp said the food drive was part of a corporate event — one that included separate drives at other Curves locations, including one in Minster.
“Members have dropped off canned good and household items through the month of March,” Heitkamp said. “If a new member dropped off a bag of groceries, their sign-up fee was waived.”
Heitkamp thanked the members for contributing to the food drive. She also thanked the students — juniors Mark Zink and Ben Schamt — for volunteering to collect the items.
“We were asked if we wanted to help and we volunteered,” Zink said. “It’s nice to see that we are helping Agape.”
Schamt agreed and said it felt good to help those residents on hard times.
“I feel we are helping the community a lot in these economic times,” Schamt said. “I have helped before, my freshman and sophomore years and with the Christmas drives.”
Agape volunteers Ed Grant and Don Nuss also were on hand to help with the collection. The two men said they have noticed an increase in the number of patrons visiting the food bank.’
“People in the community are appreciative,” Grant said. “We hear it from them all the time.”
Nuss told The Evening Leader he has seen people get emotional while visiting the food bank.
“We get new clients each week,” Nuss said. “I’ve heard them say they never thought they’d be here. It’s affecting everyone. I’ve seen people cry before.” |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 15 April 2009 )
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