A hot plea for food: Provo facility summer drive set to refill shelves

PROVO — An abundant spirit of giving is evident during the winter holiday season. But people struggling to make ends meet need to eat in the summer, fall and spring, too.

That's why the Community Action Services and Food Bank in Provo is having a summer food drive.

"Giving is always down in the summer," said Myla Dutton, Community Action Services director. "And the giving was down even during the (past) holidays."

Dutton said donations were down 15 percent at all food banks across the state during the past holiday season.

There were no big disasters this past year to push donation needs into headlines.

The summer food drive is a new program in which businesses are asked to participate to alert employees and customers to the food bank's need.

"Because of some food drives at schools in April and May our June inventory looked really good," Dutton said.

But the county food bank dispenses 150,000 pounds a month and with only 600,000 pounds on shelves at the end of June, there's a worry for the fall months before holiday food drives begin.

"This was an unusual year — every food bank had the same situation," she said. "We're all hurting a bit."

One company jumping on the food drive bandwagon is Intermountain Healthcare. With hospitals in American Fork, Orem and Provo and more than 4,000 employees, IHC hopes to help in a big way.

"We were told the food bank needs to raise 100,000 pounds," said Janet Frank, spokeswoman for IHC in Utah County. "We're trying to make a dent in that."

The food bank delivers barrels to businesses with signs and fliers asking for donations. IHC will participate through Aug. 6.

Frank said the barrels will be placed in the administration areas of all three hospitals, and staff at Utah Valley Regional Medical Center will also place one near the cashier's desk in the main lobby. Anyone entering the hospitals is invited to donate.

The facility in Provo is just one in a network of food banks in the area.

Each year, among three counties — Utah, Summit and Wasatch — 4,700 families are helped, receiving 2 million pounds of food. Some 1 1/2 million pounds is gathered through food drives with the other 500,000 pounds picked up from grocery stores and restaurants.

Most people receiving food and other items are working families, elderly residents or disabled people. Many receiving aid are not weekly or even monthly customers.