Warren, PA - Warren Midtown Motors is joining Ford dealerships across the country to help fight food insecurity, launching a nationwide food drive from September 15th through September 25th.

The effort is part of Ford’s Building Together initiative, a program focused on supporting food security and strengthening local communities.

At Warren Midtown Motors on Market Street, staff will be collecting both non-perishable food items and monetary donations throughout the drive.

Vehicle dealer Kevin Ruttenburger said they are looking forward to helping the community.
“We try to be as involved in the community as we can be, whether that is donating to local charities, or sponsoring local sports teams, we want to do something that makes a difference here in our community,” he said. "Ford along with its dealer partners are hosting the world's largest dealer food drive, and collectively, our goal is to collect one million pounds of food. The local charity that our collection will go to is the Saint Joe's Soup Kitchen, and we are very excited."

The soup kitchen at Saint Joseph Church has been serving Warren for more than 30 years. When it first opened, volunteers say they prepared around 70 to 80 meals a week. Today, that number has nearly tripled, with more than 200 meals served just last week.

Volunteers say the timing of this support is critical.
“This service has been going on for about 35 years," said Mary Creek, Saint Joseph Soup Kitchen volunteer. "We have seen our numbers increase drastically over the past couple of years. But everyone that we serve here have been very grateful. It's been a blessing to help them, but the need keeps growing."

“Warren is a wonderful place to be, but there are pockets of this town that you don't see," said fellow kitchen volunteer, Christine Barbera. "There are a lot of people who are going meal to meal, children, older people, and families. To have this extra boost is huge. We get donations from other local businesses, but the need is great, and we can always use more food and money to help these people."

Donations for the food drive can be dropped off at Warren Midtown Motors through September 25th at their location on 1995 Market Street in Warren, PA.

For more information on the Ford Building Together food drive, visit here.