Hunger hurts every day, and summertime can be especially painful for children.

When school’s out, kids who get free or reduced-cost meals in the lunchroom are often left hungry during what should be the lazy, crazy days of summer.

Well, the folks at ABC Newspapers wanted to do something about that.

In an effort to ease those hunger pangs and quiet growling stomachs, ABC Newspapers launched a 10-day food drive last month and collected 1,906 pounds of nonperishable food items and $1,360 to help fill the racks at Anoka’s ACBC (Anoka County Brotherhood Council) Food Shelf.

According to Second Harvest Heartland, the largest hunger-relief organization in the Upper Midwest’s and partner with ACBC, for every $1 donated, nine pounds of food can be purchased.

When you do the math, you see that ABC Newspapers’ food drive ultimately donated 14,146 pounds of food to ACBC.

ABC Newspapers’ 2009 food drive totaled 64 percent more donations than the 2008 food drive.

Many hands make light work and fill many empty stomachs.

Just ask Tracy Petro, ABC Newspapers employee and member of the newspapers’ Community Affairs Council which facilitated the food drive there.

“We didn’t do it alone,” Petro said. “People from the community came in and gave so much. Plus we had community donations and support from local businesses.”

To drum up community support, ads were placed in the Anoka County Shopper and in ABC Newspapers, inviting people to drop off non-perishable food items and/or monetary donations for the cause.

“One of the most amazing donations came from one woman who gave $100 of her own money and then asked her company to give a contribution. They gave a three-to-one match, so they gave $300,” said Petro.

From July 13 through 24, food was collected in ABC Newspapers’ front office and at Coborn’s Superstore in Ramsey, at Festival Foods in Andover, at Jensen’s Foods in Coon Rapids and at Cub Foods in Coon Rapids.

Not only that, Davanni’s Pizza, Caribou Coffee, Panera Bread, McDonald’s and Eddington’s offered their support for the drive.

“Everyone just really did so much to help us help the food shelf to help the hungry,” Petro said.

And help is still needed because, indeed, hunger hurts every day.

According to the Minnesota Emergency Foodshelf Network, of those who use Minnesota’s food shelves, 47 percent of adults and 14 percent of children skip meals to stretch their budgets.

In Minnesota, nearly one million people live in households that are struggling to put food on the table and 56 percent of food shelf visitors are families with children; 20 percent are seniors.

According to ACBC, the demand at the food shelf increases during the summer months and donations at food shelves are often at their lowest levels in June, July and August.

ACBC Food Shelf serves people living in Anoka, Andover, Coon Rapids, Nowthen, Oak Grove and Ramsey.

Donations can be made at the ACBC Food Shelf (located at 2615 9th Ave., Anoka) from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday and Wednesday or by appointment.

Clients can pick up food Monday and Wednesday, noon to 3 p.m., or Tuesday and Thursday, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

For more information, call the food shelf at 763-422-0046.

Sue Austreng is at sue.austreng@ecm-inc.com.This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it