Ten Chester County communities gathered on Saturday as part of the fifth annual Diwali Food Drive to give collected donations to the Chester County Food Bank.
“This is an amazing representation of neighbors helping neighbors,” said Anne Shuniak, Community Engagement and Marketing Manager for the Chester County Food Bank, which received 32,062 pounds of food during the event.
The Diwali Food Drive was initiated in 2012 by the residents of the Byers Station community in Chester Springs. Inspired by the spirit of Diwali, the festival of light, the inaugural drive collected 1,800 pounds of food in one community.
The Diwali Food Drive is now one of the largest community-hosted food drives to benefit the Chester County Food Bank with a total of more than 60,000 pounds to date.
This year’s Diwali Food Drive has grown to 10 communities throughout Chester County, including:
- Byers Station
- Malvern Hunt
- The Reserve at Eagle Hunt
- Windsor Ridge
- Bell Tavern
- Applecross
- The Reserve at Waynebrook
- The Reserve at Eagle Village
- Whiteland Woods
- The Reserve at Chestnut Ridge
Diwali Food Drive partnered with ACME Markets, and its Eagle store. ACME donated 75 cases of peanut butter and a $2,000 check to purchase subsidized groceries to help the communities reach their 50,000-pound goal. The ACME Eagle store also donated water and various breakfast items.
“ACME Markets has a strong commitment to the fight against hunger in the communities we serve,” said Dan Croce, President of ACME. “Our team is proud to support the Diwali Food Drive and The Chester County Food Bank, as they continue their work feeding those in need in Chester County.”
Food Bank staff along with their full fleet of delivery trucks were on hand at each of the communities.
“We are so very thankful for the support of those involved with the Diwali Food Drive and for ACME partnering with the communities to help bring more food to the Chester County Food Bank,” said Larry Welsch, Executive Director of the Chester County Food Bank. “This food is vital to our efforts to serve, at no cost, over 120 food cupboards, meal sites, and social service organizations.”
