EPHRATA — In a demonstration of community spirit, the Ephrata School District successfully gathered nearly 750 pounds of food for the Ephrata Food Bank during their recent food drive, coinciding with conference week. The initiative, which engaged students, staff, and families alike, is part of the district's ongoing commitment to support local charitable efforts. 

Ken Murray, Superintendent of Ephrata School District, expressed pride in the overwhelming support received.  

“I’m really proud of how our Tiger community showed up for our recent food drive,” said Murray. “Our students, staff, and families continue to remind me what it means to care for one another. Supporting our local food bank is just one of the many ways we come together to make a difference.” 

The food drive was held over three days, coinciding with parent-teacher conferences, encouraging families to contribute as they visited teachers to discuss students' progress. The total was collected and delivered to the Ephrata Food Bank, illustrating a unified effort that involved various schools across the district.  

Ephrata School District Director of Public Relations Sarah Morford detailed the success of the food drive.  

“We were pleased by the outcome. It was nice to see folks prioritizing bringing in food to help the community as they were coming in to see their teachers,” said Morford. “The initiative was a great way to foster a sense of community and collaboration among our families and educators.” 

The positive momentum from the food drive continues, as Ephrata Middle School has extended its effort through the end of November. The EMS Honor Society is leading this continuation of the food drive, with advisory classes competing to collect the most non-perishable food items. The class that collects the highest number will be rewarded with donuts as an incentive, further motivating students to make a difference. 

Community members who wish to contribute can donate items during school hours at Ephrata Middle School or directly to the Ephrata Food Bank, located at 1010 A Street SE, where donations are accepted on Mondays and Thursdays at noon.  

Morford highlighted that even if community members missed the school district's collection, they can still make a positive impact by donating year-round. 

Phyllis Fuglie, Director of the Ephrata Food Bank, expressed gratitude for the support received thus far.  

“It was amazing. That will go to great help for us,” Fuglie said, reflecting on the recent donations from the school district. “It’s hard to predict how many people will have walking in the doors on a Monday or Thursday, but something like that is so helpful. We are just so blessed with this community.” 

The Ephrata Food Bank is facing challenges in meeting the growing demands for food assistance, particularly with the rising number of visitors each day. Fuglie mentioned that they are noticing an uptick in the number of families seeking support, making food drives critical for their operations.  

“We’ve had a few more people each day come in. I mean, like there's one day, we had five more people, another four more people,” she said. “I don’t want anyone to go hungry because they’re embarrassed to come to the food bank.” 

Fuglie said she is waiting to find out what happens at the federal level with SNAP benefits, along with federal employees' wages. If the government shutdown continues, she worries the food bank will have a larger need. As of Wednesday, the Senate passed the funding bill. The House of Representatives was expected to vote on the matter at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday.  

“I am hoping that once we pick up again, and the feds get back to work. Everything gets paid. Everybody will be happy,” she said. “Right now, we have signs at the food bank saying ‘don’t expect as much food because we don’t really know how many people will need it.’ We just have to taper it so everyone can eat.”  

The food bank has specific needs at this time, particularly in the areas of canned goods and protein sources. Requested items include canned fruit, canned meats, canned vegetables and non-perishable proteins such as peanut butter and tuna.  

“Every can helps,” Fuglie said. 

Ephrata Food Bank
1010 A St. SE
Ephrata
Monday & Thursday
2 to 4 p.m.
509-754-5772