Organizers with Dowagiac’s largest annual food drive just put the pedal to the metal, as they kick off another season of giving.

Last week, members of the C. Wimberley Automotive’s 2017 Feed the Hungry campaign began raising money for the holiday fundraiser, which will pay for food items to help feed Cass County families throughout the next year. So far, 56 businesses and private individuals are on board to donate this year, said Jim Allen, coordinator of the annual program.

On Friday, the campaign received its first major contribution of 2017, when members of Dowagiac’s John Scott Insurance handed Allen a $1,050 check. The donation was made as part of the downtown office’s referral program, where the company donates a certain amount of dollars to a local charity for every customer the agency receives through referral.

The company has donated to the Feed the Hungry the past three years, said President and CEO Todd Marazita.

“For me, nothing is more important than making sure that people have food, especially around the holidays,” Marazita said.

This holiday season, organizers with the Feed the Hungry program are looking to raise $20,000 worth of donations. Every dollar collected will be turned over to Dowagiac’s ACTION Ministries, which will use the money to purchase food items from Feeding America West Michigan’s Benton Harbor warehouse for pennies on the dollar, said Jeff Neumann, president of the organization. Neumann said that for every $1 Feed the Hungry raises, ACTION will be able to purchase $6 worth of food.

On Dec. 22, ACTION will use a portion of the proceeds to bring in more than a dozen semitrailer trucks, which will carry food items that will stock five Dowagiac and Cassopolis area food pantries. The remaining dollars will be used to bring in mobile food pantries to different sites across the county over the next year, Neumann said.

Last year’s Feed the Hungry efforts paid for visits from 19 food trucks, Neumann said.

“Every year, the program just gets bigger and better,” Allen said.

Like previous years, donors who pay a certain amount of money will have their name or company logo affixed to a vehicle from one C. Wimberley’s dealerships. The vehicles will be stationed around town through Dec. 22 to encourage donations.

People wanting to make a contribution to the campaign may call Allen at (269) 779-1691. In addition, volunteers will be stationed periodically outside local grocery stores beginning Saturday to collect donations.