Walk Sunday to benefit food banks
Numerous Tamaqua area churches and civic organizations are getting ready for Hunger Weekend, an event aimed at raising awareness of the local hunger issue in providing food to two community food banks.
According to Hunger Weekend organizer Paul Dodson, food banks at the Tamaqua Salvation Army and at Trinity UCC will benefit from the event.Tamaqua churches and community and school organizations have been invited to participate by making cash donations, gathering food items and by participating in the Hunger Walk at 2 p.m. Sunday through the streets of the community.Organizations are responding in various ways:The Tamaqua Rotary Club collected canned food items outside Boyer's market in Tamaqua.St. Vincent DePaul Society at St. Jerome's Roman Catholic Church is collecting nonperishable food items.St. John's Lutheran Church has been selling shoe cutouts in support of the walk and is including a Hunger Walk insert in its bulletin to remind members about the food collection.Zion Lutheran Church is collecting food items this month and used its April Joyful Noise loose change collection to raise money to support its Hunger Walk team.St. John's United Church of Christ, Trinity United Church of Christ, St. Peter's Union Church and Bethany Evangelical Congregational Church have also indicated they are participating in the weekend.New Life Assembly of God conducted a Feed the Need program May 11 and reached 142 people representing 52 families by providing a meal, groceries, clothing and a haircut for children.People may also participate by donating food items. Food collection sites include the Tamaqua YMCA, The Tamaqua Public Library and the Tamaqua Community Arts Center. Collected food items can be brought to the walk registration site Sunday.Checks for Hunger Weekend or the walk should be made out to the Tamaqua Area Community Partnership and marked "HUNGER."Registration for the walk will begin at 1:15 p.m. at the St. Luke's Medical Center parking lot on Railroad Street. Walkers are encouraged to secure sponsors for their walk. The walk's rain date is May 25.Information and participation sheets can be downloaded at