This year has been probably one of the most interesting and important years for the Armstrong Avenge Hunger month campaign which recently wrapped up on October 4th. With steadily increasing numbers of families needing meals on a daily basis, the totals have almost tripled in the past 8 months. The challenge has been really overwhelming for Second Harvest Food Bank and all other food pantries in the Mahoning Valley. Even with the challenge COVID-19 has presented, businesses and community members stepped up to raise almost 3,200 pounds of food and a little over $5,600 in monetary donations in the Mahoning Valley.
The Mahoning Valley has had its fair share of downturn during the past year, especially with the closing of GM Lordstown, which rolled the last Chevy Cruze off the line July 9, 2019 and closed its doors shortly after. With a glimmer of hope, Lordstown Motors CEO Steve Burns put forth his dream into reality by re-opening the shuttered GM Lordstown plant as the new Lordstown Motors. The new manufacturer pushed forward with their revolutionary design to build the best electric pick-up truck in the country while securing thousands orders to date. According to Lordstown Motors Chief Human Resources officer Jaime Green, A couple of goals that everyone at the plant wanted to accomplish was to design and build the most innovative electric truck on the planet and be heavily engaged with the community and its organizations.
With Avenge Hunger completed on Sunday, October 4th, Armstrong in North Lima received a call bright and early Monday morning from Lordstown Motors Plant HR Director Mary Ann Sicafuse stating that the staff in the plant and office headed up a food drive for Avenge Hunger and there was quite a bit of food for Armstrong to pick up plus monetary donations raised as well. The term “quite a bit” was an understatement! The collection turned out to be a WHOLE LOT of food and a WHOLE LOT of monetary donations with 3 large automotive parts bins stacked with non-perishable food and a check for $1,400 waiting right along with the food. Just from the Lordstown employee’s generosity and dedication, they raised almost half of the entire month of donations collections during the Avenge Hunger Month campaign locally. Lordstown has proven to be an essential part of the Mahoning Valley’s workforce and community, not only by spearheading the first electric truck in the country, but by actively being engaged with the needs of their local community.