ODOT District 9 donates to community action

District 9 in the Ohio Department of Transportation turned out this week to donate an estimated 1,200 pounds of food to Highland County Community Action.

The food was collected among Ohio Department of Transportation employees who serve Highland County, as part of the statewide initiative "Plow Through Hunger." The state has a goal of collecting 20,000 pounds of food for Ohio Food pantries. 

Highland County was one of the top collecting counties, according to district 9 Public Information Officer Kathleen Fuller. Approximately 500 pounds of food was collected, along $350 which was used to purchase additional food at Great Scott in Hillsboro. The department then got to choose where the food was donated.

Christi Hauke, director of emergency services at community action, said the organization is seeing 170 unduplicated families seeking services at the food pantry each month. 

"We made it a challenge and they really got into the spirit of giving back," Fuller said. 

ODOT District 9 Deputy Director Jim Brushart said that it was important to the crews raising the food and funds that it stay in Highland County.

"These are the guys who are out there plowing the snow," he said. "They appreciate their jobs, and as a result, they want to give back. They're good people. I always say we have got the best here in Southern Ohio."

Julia Wise, executive director of Highland County Community Action said that with so many people in need, donations to the food pantry are in demand. 

"We really appreciate this," Wise said. "Sometimes after the holidays people forget, but the problem of hunger persists in Highland County throughout the year, particularly in the current economic situation we're in."