Food Drive set for Dec. 12-16 in both offices.

We invite you to help us "fill the shelves" at Community Action Food Banks in Lewiston and Moscow this holiday season! Our staff is having a contest to see who can collect the most food for those in need.

Please drop off your donations of non-perishable canned food items to your AMERICAN INSURANCE office in Lewiston or Moscow from Dec. 12-16. AMERICAN INSURANCE will then match* and double your gift!

We visited with Connie Granbois (pictured right), manager of the Community Action Partnership food bank in Lewiston, to learn how important the food bank is to our local families.

CAP Food Banks served an average of 2,176 households, or 4,685 people, with perishable foods each month in 2015. She said people are also surprised by how much food the Food Bank gives away through all of their programs, which in 2015 covered 26,112 total households, or 56,225 people, with 306,000 total pounds of food.

"These food drives are the main way that we stock our shelves," she said. "We rely heavily on the community to donate food and cash donations during the year so we can help those in need." The Community Action Food Bank serves people in five north central counties, including Nez Perce, Latah, Clearwater, Idaho, Lewis, and sometimes Asotin County. "We do have income guidelines and everyone is screened through a friendly, easy process at CAP," Connie added. "The food bank sees a wide variety of people coming in our front doors for food assistance. They are the working poor (which includes families and individuals), seniors on a fixed income, students, homeless or someone who has experienced an emergency or crisis and needs food assistance."

Please drop off your donations of non-perishable canned food items to your AMERICAN INSURANCE office in Lewiston or Moscow from Dec. 12-16. AMERICAN INSURANCE will then match* and double your gift!

What should I donate?

Needed items at CAP are:

• Canned vegetables and fruits
• Canned or dry milk products (nonperishable)
• Canned meats and nut products (tuna, chicken, peanut butter, etc.)
• Meal helpers (Hamburger Helper, macaroni and cheese, ramen products)
• Cereal, pancake and muffin mixes, baking mixes
• Pasta, rice, spaghetti and other pasta sauces
• Jellies, jams, fruit spreads
• Paper products
• Personal hygiene items
• Pet food cans and bags
• Baby care products
• Check donations (made out directly to the "Community Action Food Bank")

Drop off locations are American Insurance offices at 55 Southway Ave., Lewiston, and 203 E. 3rd St., Moscow.

*American Insurance will match donations with food or cash up to a maximum total donation for all donations not to exceed $1,000.