Share's Holiday Challenge underway

This year's "Holiday Challenge," the annual countywide food and fund drive sponsored by FOOD Share Ventura County, ends Dec. 24.

FOOD Share has asked businesses, schools, service clubs, churches and others to sponsor their own local food drives to collect much needed food and assistance. The goal is to collect 170,000 pounds of food to feed over 100,000 hungry people countywide.

Those interested in sponsoring a food drive should call Susie Burmester, food procurement coordinator, at FOOD Share, (805) 983-7100, ext. 143. FOOD Share will provide food collection containers.

In addition to the "Holiday Challenge," FOOD Share's food bank feeds people of all ages through a countywide hunger network of 240 partner agencies that are certified to receive food supplies.

The agency operates a Brown Bag for Seniors Program, supplying bags of free groceries weekly to impoverished seniors, and a Kids Café Program with 12 Ventura County sites.

Clients seeking emergency food assistance are children, seniors, individuals in ill health, the working poor and the homeless.

For more information about FOOD Share, call (805) 983-7100 or visit www.foodshare.com.