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.