A drive to help feed Emporians in need has been extended through the weekend.
Project Emporia, which is sponsored by StuCo at Emporia High School, is accepting donations of canned foods, nonperishable items and money to furnish food for the Salvation Army, the Emporia Rescue Mission and SOS.
“We’re in full swing and appreciate everybody’s response,” said Katie Bacon, StuCo sponsor.
Donations are being accepted at the high school, in Emporia grocery stores, which have set out carts for donations, and at Emporia State Financial, which will match donations brought to its locations.
In the past, the preponderance of items has been given to the Salvation Army.
“The Rescue Mission usually takes a truckload, and SOS knows what they need,” Bacon said, mentioning cereal and peanut butter as popular in the shelter pantry.
“Last year we collected over 20,000 (items) ... and we had over a couple thousand dollars’ worth of money,” she said.
This year, the drive will not accept Ramen noodles, Bacon said. To compensate, StuCo is allowing students to donate money, with each $1 donated being credited as six items.
So far, only one jar of peanut butter has had the “2111” serial number that was part of the ConAgra company’s recall of contaminated Peter Pan and Great Value products, she said.