Countywide Drive-Thru Food Drive Planned for Elkhart County

Elkhart County residents can help local food pantries by dropping off food on May 16.

The United Against Hunger Drive-Thru Food Drive is being held at a time when many local pantries are seeing increased demand due to the coronavirus pandemic.  To help meet this need, Elkhart County nonprofit leaders came together to envision a county-wide approach coordinated by United Way of Elkhart & LaGrange Counties, the Community Foundation of Elkhart County, and the twelve pantries that will receive the donations.  

The event is May 16 from 9am to noon, when eight drive-thru donation sites in Elkhart County will collect nonperishable food items to benefit twelve local pantries. 

In addition to the drive-thru donation sites, financial donations are being accepted now through May 16 on United Way of Elkhart County’s website at unitedwayec.org/covid-19.

The most in-demand items for local pantries include peanut butter, plastic jars of spaghetti sauce, pasta noodles, soup, cereal, macaroni & cheese, crackers, canned fruit, and hamburger/tuna helper.

Eight drive-thru locations collecting donations on Saturday May 16 from 9 a.m. to noon are:

• Bristol Food Pantry – 101 W. Vistula St., Bristol
• Church Community Services – 907 Oakland Ave., Elkhart
• Faith Mission – 801 Benham Ave., Elkhart
• Middlebury Food Pantry – 13307 CR 13, Middlebury
• NorthWood High School (collection site for Family Christian Development Center & Open Door) – 2101 N. Main St., Nappanee
• Salvation Army of Elkhart (also collecting for Guidance Ministries, St. Johns, & Suzanna’s Kitchen) – 300 N. Main St., Elkhart
• Salvation Army of Goshen – 1013 N. Main St., Goshen
• The Window – 223 S. Main St., Goshen

The drive is being sponsored by the COVID-19 Community Response Fund, a partnership between United Way of Elkhart & LaGrange Counties and the Community Foundation of Elkhart County.