For the past 12 years Kelly’s Automotive Service has collected peanut butter in their annual Wipe Out Hunger Campaign. “Three years ago we also started requesting jelly at the request of the Josephine County Food Bank.” Says Kelly’s Co-Owner Lisa McClease-Kelly.
Kelly’s Automotive Service has installed thousands of windshield wipers over the past 12 years in exchange for peanut butter and jelly. All the public needs to do is bring in a 40 ounce jar of peanut, sun, soy or almond butter and a 10 ounce jar of jelly to get a new pair of wiper blades valued up to $35.00. More is always appreciated.
This year the need for food has increased. Since June 2022, the demand for services at the Josephine County Food Bank has increased by about 15%. Pre-June 2022, they served an average of 13,000 people every month – They now serve over 15,000.
This is a substantial increase for Josephine county, and they now serve roughly 1:5 of our population on a monthly basis. Many of those are children.
The ACCESS Nutrition Program in Medford has seen an 85% increase in the number of visits to their food pantries this year.
“Every year when the sun comes out, people think less about wiper blades and the donations slow down. However, this year, we are further behind than ever before.” Says McClease-Kelly
