The Jacksonville Area Community Food Center, the Naples Food Bank and the Cass County Food Pantry are asking for donations of food or money be made between now and the end of next month, and the donations will be matched by the Alan Shawn Feinstein Foundation.

Jacksonville Food Bank president Betty Hillig explains how it works.

“Any donations that we receive in March or April- that would be a monetary donation or the dollar value of any donated foodstuffs- we have a total of the dollar amount of all of that ,and we turn that in to the Feinstein Foundation, and then they have also amounts from other agencies all over the nation,” explains  Hillig.

“And so, they will then divide out up to a total of a million dollars- they match to certain percentages of whatever each anti-hunger agency, food agency has turned in.”

The food bank has participated in the program for the last 16 years. Last year, the center brought in about $50,000 in money and food.

Hillig says the Jacksonville community never fails when it comes to helping the food bank out.

“The community’s been very generous with our food center,” she says. “If we have a need for food and it’s broadcast that we do, then we do get a big outpouring from the community to help us through those times.”

Donations can be dropped off or mailed to the Jacksonville Food Center at 316 East State. Deliveries can go to the Cass County Food Pantry at 138 South Main in Virginia and the Naples Food bank at 202 McNair Street.