The 8th annual Lewis-Clark State College Art of Giving – Send Hunger Packing food drive in the Normal Hill neighborhood in Lewiston will take place on April 20-21.

The food drive and matching fundraiser is usually held in conjunction with Art Under the Elms, the signature event of the Dogwood Festival held in the Lewis-Clark Valley during April. However, all Dogwood events scheduled in April were either postponed or canceled to comply with Idaho and Centers for Disease Control mandates and guidelines in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the continued needs of area food banks, Art of Giving organizers, with the help of the LC State ROTC program, under the direction of Capt. Ryan Cash, and the Idaho Army National Guard, have decided to proceed with the food drive. Idaho Army National guard volunteers will dress in civilian clothes and hang plastic bags with fliers explaining the food drive in the Normal Hill neighborhood on the afternoon of April 20. The flyer will explain the items needed, such as non-perishable foods, single-service items, toiletries, and sanitary items, baby food, infant formula, and diapers.

The volunteers will return the next day to pick up the bags left out and hope to have pick-up completed by 1:30 p.m.

Last year, the food drive, combined with donations during Art Under the Elms, helped organizers collect more than 1,000 pounds of food and $1,286 in monetary contributions. The food and monetary donations were divided between the Asotin Food Bank, the Community Action Partnership Food Bank, St. Vincent de Paul, the Warrior Food Pantry, and the YWCA, all who will again be this year’s recipients.

For further information on the food drive, contact the Art of Giving committee chair, LC State associate professor Leif Hoffmann, at lshoffmann@lcsc.edu, or Capt. Cash at ryan.w.cash.mil@mail.mil.