The Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board kicked off its annual Freedom from Hunger Food Drive in late August, and it will continue until October 31, writes Donna Rovins for The Mercury.

Since the first event in 2015, the food drive has raised the monetary equivalent of more than 164,000 pounds of food.

This year’s kickoff event was at Cecil & Grace Bean’s Soup Kitchen in Norristown. Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay was on hand to help prepare and serve burgers, hot dogs and Merrymead Farm ice cream to more than 100 guests.

This year’s effort is especially critical as more Montgomery County families are struggling because of the rising cost of food. Food costs went up by more than 10% in just the last year.

Since 2020, the Freedom from Hunger Food Drive has been held online. This year’s goal is to collect 60,000 pounds of food.

“The only chance we’ve got in ever beating hunger is to fight it together,” Mike Bowman, president and CEO of the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board, said in a statement.

“We have so many amazing and generous businesses in the Montco community. We’re asking them to join us in giving anything they can and helping us spread the word that the pandemic may technically be over, but hunger isn’t.”

The MontCo Anti-Hunger Network is once again partnering with the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board on the food drive.

Read how you can donate to the Freedom from Hunger food drive and more about the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board at The Mercury.

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More on the food drive.