Lunchbox donations fighting hunger

Emmanuel UCC’s “Lunch Boxes Fight Against Hunger” is off to a good start. More than $180 was raised in January, and $617 was raised in February for a total of $800 so far. The money will be split evenly be- tween The Shepherd’s Pantry, located at 310 Hope St. in Sebring and the hungry in Somalia.

The lunch boxes and tin containers have a slot in them so people can place dollars and change in them. The tins have been distrib- uted to businesses on the west side of U.S. 27, along Ring Road around the mall, on and near the Sebring Circle in Sebring, and many other locations. Individual donors have also played a large part in the dona- tion process.

The Shepherd’s Pantry, open the third Monday of each month at Emmanuel UCC, serves over 220 families. People dealing with food shortages from Highlands County and neighboring counties are served by the Pantry, including many of veterans.

Half the money raised will go to the hungry in Somalia. According to the World Food Program, 4.3 million people face crisis levels of food shortages and there will be a $387 million gap in funding to supply food.

A big “Thank You” goes out to the independent businesses for displaying the lunch boxes and tin containers. It is Emmanuel’s hope that people patronize these businesses and place a donation in the containers. The Lunch Boxes Against Hunger Committee is also grateful to individual donors.

Lunch Boxes Fight Against Hunger can be found at: Sebring Insurance, Sebring Pharmacy, Jackson Hewitt, Halo Design Hair & Nails, Sky Nails and Spa, Triangle Hardware, Vampire Penguin, Pain Management, High- land Hot Spot Nails and Tanning, 3 Jen’s, My Salon, The Beauty Parlor, Comfort Keepers, Pet Grooming, Sebring Sub, Wellness Revolution, Studio 127, Dee’s Restaurant, Ellison’s Salon & Spa, Hobby Hill Florist, The Vault Coffee Shop, Tropical Obsession Tanning, and Classy Nail & Spa.