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FFH is a community drive that involves Knox County and benefits two local agencies – Interchurch Social Services and the Salvation Army.
100% of all donations stay in Knox County and are distributed by these agencies. Donations are used for food distribution and client aid (including basic necessities).
Interchurch has branches in Mount Vernon, Centerburg, Danville and Fredericktown. The Mount Vernon Salvation Army serves as a church, food pantry and community outreach center. The Salvation Army also has service units in Centerburg and Fredericktown, providing financial assistance only.
100% of all donations from a particular community are used for that particular community. (Example – all food and funds collected in Fredericktown stays in Fredericktown to serve the residents.)
2011 marks the 30th Food For The Hungry drive. This campaign started in 1982 with local radio host Charlie Kilkenny (WMVO). Charlie and his wife Carol wanted to help families affected by a factory closing in Mount Vernon.
In 1982, $1,600 and 7 truckloads of food were collected. The 2009 total was $168,053 and 47 truckloads of food. To honor our 25th anniversary in 2006, $40,000 was designated to purchase walk-in refrigerator and freezer units for the food pantries.
The 2011 the goal is $150,000 and 50 truckloads of food.
Six partners help underwrite the expenses of FFH: WMVO/WQIO (BAS Broadcasting), Mount Vernon News, WNZR, Time Warner Cable, Mount Vernon Nazarene University and Nelson & Nelson CPAs. Each partner contributes in-kind services and infrastructure related to their particular business and administrative personnel.
The partnership began in 1995 and is a model of community service and outreach. Other communities have approached various partners to seek information on the FFH model with hopes of incorporating our organizational system within their own cities.
FFH is MANY EVENTS culminating into a one day radio and television simulcast on the second Saturday of December – this year, Saturday, December 10, 2011. |
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 Now in its 30th year, Food for the Hungry is an annual drive that collects food and revenue for the Knox County branches of The Salvation Army and Interchurch Social Services. These agencies in turn use the donations to help Knox County families with basic necessities throughout the year. 100% of all donations to Food For the Hungry stay in Knox County. The drive culminates in an eight hour live television, radio, and web broadcast.
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Food For The Hungry History |
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 Food For The Hungry (FFH) began as a food and money drive on WMVO radio to benefit Interchurch Social Services (ISS) and the Salvation Army (SA) in 1982. Long-time WMVO morning show host Charlie Kilkenny started the drive with the help of his wife, Carol, and businesses at the Mount Vernon Shopping Plaza (now the Kroger Plaza). Mount Vernon Cablevision joined in sponsoring the drive the next year. The drive grew into a partnership between the radio stations and other media (WNZR, Mount Vernon News) in 1995, and added Mount Vernon Nazarene University (who sponsored a basketball tournament) and the accounting services of Nelson & Nelson one year later.
For many years, the drive was coordinated by a community volunteer who worked for one of the partners, but as FFH grew and grew, we realized the drive needed someone in a paid position to be the point person and coordinate the many community volunteers and activities that make this drive a success every year. The coordinator is the only paid staff member involved in FFH. All others are volunteers. FFH is MANY EVENTS culminating into a one day simulcast (broadcast on radio, television, and online) – the second Saturday of December. |
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