A little over a year ago, two friends and co-workers at Fairmount, 333 Wheat Ridge Drive, Ephrata, held their first food drive. The pair - Valley View LPN Holly Keim and RN Katie Seibert, who works in rehabilitation - had first conceived of the idea in early 2020.

A second drive was held during the summer of 2021 and a third drive from Nov. 29 through Dec. 13. "It's something we wanted to continue to do because there's a need," said Keim, who noted that she hung up flyers and sent out emails encouraging staff and residents to bring unexpired, nonperishable food items, as well as personal care items to the lobby, in the Wheat Ridge building. Carol Swailes, Fairmount public relations coordinator, included the information in "In Touch," the biweekly newsletter to all campus residents.

By Dec. 13, Keim weighed nearly 700 pounds of food to be delivered to two area food pantries. This year's donations went to the Northeastern Lancaster County Food Bank, located in Terre Hill, and to Hello Charity, a food pantry in Denver.

Seibert noted that the lobby location serves the collection well because visitors to the area see the food piling up on tables and then want to take part. "Employees and residents are really giving," said Keim. "It's an easy place to hold a food drive."

More information about the mission of Fairmount may be found at https://fairmounthomes.org.