On Sept. 23, during the Garner-Clayton varsity football game at 7:30 p.m. in the Garner Trojan Stadium, Garner Magnet High School students, Trojan fans and Garner residents will have the opportunity to donate dry and canned goods to the Community of Hope Ministry food pantry. The food drive will help the Garner-based Christian ministry gain a toehold against hunger in the area. Each person who brings at least three items to the food drive will receive:

▪ $1 off admission to the Garner-Clayton Football game

▪ Carolina Clipper Magazine- Save 100’s of Dollars with coupons to local restaurants and retailers

▪ Coupon for a free food item at Chick-fil-A

▪ Coupon for a free smoothie or frappe at McDonald’s

▪ $7 discount from PB and J Games Fun Factory

▪ Tom Jones Drug Chance to Win a Free Teeth Whitening (X Brite Smiles -$90 value)

▪ $1 off Coffee from Swift Creek Coffee House

▪ Tookies Grill - Free item

Additional Partners are Ole Time BBQ, Kick and Sticks, First Citizens Bank, Rush Hour Karting, Garner TV and Appliance, TT and E Metal and Capital Chrysler Jeep Dodge, BJs Warehouse, Lowes Foods and Walmart

In addition, the Garner Magnet High School student government has agreed to team up with Community of Hope Ministries to add a ‘service” component to the annual homecoming festivities planned for Garner’s 2010 Home-coming Celebration Oct. 4 - 8. Traditionally students at the high school compete in activities such as a Jr. Olympics and the much anticipated float building competition in an attempt to win points for their individual academic classes. This year, the Community of Hope Ministries food drive will be an additional “Homecoming” competition event for the students. Students will have an opportunity to place their food drive items in specially marked bins for their academic class. All donated items will be counted, and points will be awarded based on the total number of items donated for each class. These points will be included in the point totals for the class competition during Homecoming week.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, Community of Hope Ministries gives away box upon box of nutritionally balanced meals to families in the Garner area who are struggling to make ends meet. For many in our community, hunger is a silent need, forcing children and parents to go to school and to work each day on an empty stomach. The numbers of families in our area who rely upon and benefit from the Community of Hope food pantry, however, are not so silent. 48,000….that is the number of meals already given away just this year by the Community of Hope Ministries Food Pantry. 48,000 is the screaming reminder to the staff at Community of Hope Ministries and to all of the corporate partners who have joined us for this food drive that hunger is here in our very community.