BERRIEN SPRINGS — About two dozen volunteers drove through the drizzle Thursday to pack up and deliver thousands of donated items at the Berrien County Youth Fairgrounds’ Youth Memorial Building in Berrien Springs to local pantries.

The 40-degree temperatures gave the event’s name, Christmas in June, an apt title. It is United Way of Southwest Michigan’s third year hosting the drive, and it was the best item turnout yet, said campaign relationship coordinator Diane Binder.

More than 20,000 items were placed at multiple drop-off points across Berrien and Cass counties over the past few weeks. Participating businesses dropped off and picked up the items at two centers, the Youth Memorial Building and First Church of God in St. Joseph.

Then, individuals representing different businesses picked up the items Thursday and Friday and delivered them to 32 participating pantries across the two counties.

The event is part of a worldwide United Way “Day of Action,” where many local United Ways host volunteer events to help strengthen community prosperity.

“We’re thankful for the community and the businesses for helping us make a difference,” Binder said.

The cause’s largest supporter was the more than 1,100 employees of American Electric Power that donated more than 11,000 items to Christmas in June, over half the total donated items.

Jami Krafft was one of 13 employees that came to pick up some of their company’s donated items and drop them off at pantries, each wearing a red shirt that said “Caring together.” Krafft was a leader in organizing the donation drive at AEP.

“I’m the one that sounds out the thousand emails, and everybody says, ‘Oh my gosh, another email for Jami,”’ she said with a laugh.

AEP employees have been donating items since the program’s inception. Each year, they try to beat the previous year’s total donated item number. Krafft said this year worried them.

“We were scared this year because it started out slow,” she said. “This last week, we really had a huge push. Last week, on Wednesday, we were at 5,800, so we weren’t even at our first years’ total.”

But in seven days, AEP employees nearly doubled their donation total to beat AEP’s previous two donation totals.

Employees carried boxes of food and household item and stacked and pushed them on carts to their own cars and to a large company truck.

“This group does a lot for the community, all over the community,” said Dawn Howley, campaign relationship coordinator.

This past weekend, AEP employees volunteered at Harbor House, where they painted and planted flowers. They also donate books and time at a book drive and took part in United Way’s Rake-a-Difference, an event where volunteers rake disabled and elderly residents’ yards, Krafft said.

Cass County Family and Probate Court staff also volunteered their time at the pantry item pick-up. While neither court donated items, they planned to deliver items to Cass County’s six participating pantries.

Alexi Fuller, a member of the family court staff, said its both courts’ first times volunteering, but both plan to help next year.

“[We] want to show our support for the communities,” she said. “We are here to help and not just necessarily consequence negative behaviors.”

The family court brought three teenagers on probation to assist the volunteer staff. She said the court wanted to provide a community service opportunity to them.

Binder said United Way intends to host Christmas in June again next year. She said the organization hopes to include pantries in Van Buren County, an area that United Way is becoming more involved with.

Those interested in donating but unable to make it to an individual pantry can still give to United Way at its 2015 Lakeview Avenue location in St. Joseph, Binder said. Information will be on its site through the end of the month. Binder also said that monetary donations for pantries are welcome, as well.