THE ERIE FOOD BANK NEEDS YOUR HELP!

Doug Croft, a personal trainer at the Erie Community Center and owner of DC Personal Training in Erie, has run a marathon each month in 2009 in order to raise awareness of the problem of hunger in Erie. He has been racking up donations of food and cash for the Erie Food Bank this year. So far, he has run 7 marathons (26.2 miles each) and one marathon-plus of 40 miles in June of 2009. In August, he ran with a bruised rib and still completed the entire 26.2 miles in under 3:10:00! He still has four marathons to go this year and...WE NEED YOUR HELP!

With the aid of many generous individuals in the Erie community and elsewhere, he has raised hundreds of pounds of food and nearly $2,000.00 in cash donations for the Food Bank this year. However, even though the staff is all-volunteer, the overhead at the Food Bank (electricity, etc.) is approximately $3,600.00 per year. And more food is always required; the Food Bank often runs out of hygiene products and high-demand foods.

As we all know, many folks have been hit hard by the recession. Some have had to face long-term food shortages for their children and themselves, and some have even had to handle the stress of losing a job or a home, or both. With this in mind, Croft first approached the Erie Food Bank in October of 2008 to suggest this physically demanding manner of assisting those struggling in our community. He spoke with Marianne Farnum, who is the volunteer Secretary of the Erie Food Bank, and she signed on immediately.

The Erie Food Bank, which is governed by the Weld County Food Bank, offers help to those who live in Erie, Colorado, and need food assistance. The residents who utilize the Food Bank's services must qualify for assistance and provide proof of income (or lack thereof) and a utility bill confirming that they are an Erie resident. The income requirement is 130% to 180% of the poverty level that is determined by the Weld County Food Bank. In addition, individuals and families are only able to obtain food four times within six months.

Anyone who is facing a food shortage or having difficulty deciding between paying a bill or buying food, should contact the Erie Food Bank. Marianne may be reached at (303) 828-3946 and Angie may be reached at (303) 828-3546. The Food Bank is located at 635 Pierce Street, in downtown Erie, and is open on Thursdays from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. It's not required, but please try to call in advance of coming since the Food Bank volunteers will be able to advise you of any other requirements in order to qualify.

Doug Croft will be running four more marathons this year to help combat this problem. The marathons will start and end at the Erie Elementary School. He will run a 3-mile loop around downtown Erie. During the summer months, he will start each marathon at approximately 6:00 a.m., and his Marathons for Food team will be at the Erie Elementary to accept donations until 11:30 a.m. on the day of each marathon. If the team is not there, Croft's car will be well-marked and donors are requested to place their food donations in the box by his car and the cash donations in the marked place.

The next four marathons will all occur on the third Sunday of the month, as follows:

September 20, 2009;

October 18, 2009;

November 15, 2009; and

December 20, 2009.

Please come out and cheer him on, run or bike a loop with him, or simply donate a few cans of food or a few dollars! If we all pitch in a little, it helps the community a lot!

Doug Croft can be reached via email at croft.doug@gmail.com.