Case Hepp, 10, left and his father, Jeff, load jars of spaghetti sauce into volunteers’ sacks at a fast pace Saturday morning at First Church of God, 1000 E. Brown Ave. They were among at least 450 volunteers who helped distribute and deliver food items for 5,000 meals to 1,000 city residences. The food drive was a collaborative effort involving about 20 local and area churches that raised about $16,000 over several months via shirt sales and donations. Organizer Shannon Maier, who has served as truancy officer for Bellefontaine City Schools for the past 19 years, said the drive had been scheduled for last summer but was delayed because of the pandemic. Maier said her inspiration for the drive was seeing the impact they have helping those in need at other ministries. (EXAMINER PHOTO | T.J. HUBBARD)
Correction: The name Hepp was misspelled in an earlier version of this item.