While it may not seem like a lot — especially in midst of another crazy holiday shopping season — a single dollar can make a world of difference for hungry families living in the Dowagiac and Cassopolis areas.

With that in mind, organizers with C. Wimberley’s annual Feed the Hungry campaign are asking locals to donate $1, as the food drive revs up for the 2016 holiday season.

Volunteers with the program were out in force Saturday morning, collecting money from patrons of Family Fare and Harding’s in Dowagiac, as well as the Harding’s store in Cassopolis. Organizers with the campaign are looking to raise more than $20,000 in donations for this year’s drive, which kicked off last week and runs through Christmas, said Feed the Hungry coordinator Jim Allen.

Now in its sixth year, Feed the Hungry has raised more than $75,000 for local food pantries. Last year, Allen and other volunteers raised nearly $25,000 for the program, the largest amount so far.

This year, the car dealership is deploying three vehicles for use during the campaign. People who donate a certain amount of money get company logo displayed on one of the vehicles,
Allen said.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will be used to purchase food for several area food pantries, including First Church of God’s Compassion Cupboard in Cassopolis. Pat Keirn and Julee Grice, two members of the church who help with the pantry, volunteered to help raise money for Feed the Hungry on Saturday outside the Dowagiac Family Fare.

According to the two, the Cassopolis food pantry helps between 35 to 50 people every month.

“We help a lot of elderly people, more so than families,” Keirn said. “Those who visit us are very appreciative. They will often try to donate themselves whenever they can.”

To help support the pantry, Keirn and Grice have volunteered with Feed the Hungry since it began, working to collect donations and help out with the food drop off at the end of the campaign in December.

“The feeling you get helping someone else cannot be described,” Keirn said. “When you help other people, it makes you feel good inside.”

People who wish to make a donation to the program are asked to contact Allen at (269) 779-1691.