Driving in Monroe County will soon cost Volunteers collect food

Paul Schoonmaker, a retired senior citizen, celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day by volunteering for a food drive for the needy. He collected more than 400 pounds of food. \nThe drive, conducted by the Hoosier Hills Food Bank, 615 N. Fairview St., and the Area 10 Agency for Aging, 7500 W. Reeves Road., covered Ellettsville and the surrounding areas. \nSchoonmaker was one of nearly two dozen volunteers who took part in the drive, which included students, family groups and volunteers from the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of the Area 10.\nBy mid-afternoon, food collections hit 1,000 pounds and volunteers weren't done weighing in the goods.\nMarjorie Hershey, a Girl Scouts leader who has been volunteering for more than 13 years, and her daughter Lani, collected more than 100 pounds of food. \nThe drive began during the weekend with groups of volunteers distributing fliers for the upcoming food drive. Monday morning, volunteers collected the bags of donated food and brought them into the Agency. \n"There are people out there with health problems or disabilities who cannot go out and help themselves. That is why others need to help them," Schoonmaker said. \nJoann Walder, who coordinates the Food Pantry program and is an Americorps Vista worker, said the food collection surpassed her expectations. \nDonations came from unexpected quarters. Walder said after the food collection was complete, the Agency received a call from a senior citizen living in the Ellettsville area who had been sick and could not put out her food donation in the morning when she was supposed to. They went back and collected the food. \n"It was so obvious she could probably have done with the food herself. But, she wanted to help and requested us to come back and pick up her donation," Walder said.\nVolunteers said they found the project satisfying. \nHershey said food drives and other similar projects are valuable services. \n"I like to participate in such projects because my entire family finds it such a rewarding experience, and we have so much fun," she said. \nOrganizers said they were impressed by the community's response.\n"We did not really know until the last moment how many people would come out to help us," said Georgia Schaich, director for RSVP. "But, it was so satisfying to see so many of them turn up and such diverse groups of people too -- all willing to help"