10/14/2025
Last year, hospital president Kurt Forsyth challenged department leaders to help alleviate food insecurity in our community.
When culinary services manager Opal Cluff heard this, she immediately thought about starting a food drive. She wanted to do something to benefit the East Millard Food Pantry, and she knew a food drive would help their cause.
The hospital partnered with the food bank and started a collection. For every 75 pounds of food collected, the hospital also committed to donate a case of healthy snacks to local schoolkids.
The drive, called “Feeding Our Community Together,” ran from June to August of 2024 and was a success by all accounts. Just under 600 pounds of food were collected and eight cases of snacks were donated to schools.
Caregivers decided to continue the food drive this year. This time, though, they set an ambitious goal: collect 900 pounds.
In June, flyers started to go out, and caregivers carried in the first donations for the second annual “Feeding Our Community Together” food drive. Food donations, slow at first, gradually increased.
As word spread, the community responded. It was sometime in early August when the hospital met its 900-pound goal, defying all expectations. Still, the donations flowed in.
The total pounds collected was well over 1,000 when the hospital received a heartwarming call. Berenice Diaz, a local resident with Hispanic community ties, informed caregivers she was enroute with precious cargo.
She’d collected bags donated by the Hispanic community and loaded her vehicle with them almost completely. Most donations had been delivered a bag or two at a time. Diaz’s vehicle was a sight to behold.
Some of the bags even had handwritten notes on them. One, in Spanish, said, “Muchas gracias por las attenciones que siempre resivo en el hospital y clinica de Fillmore (translated: Thank you so much for the care I always receive at Fillmore Hospital and Clinic.)”
Caregivers and volunteers at the food bank were touched by the messages.
The Hispanic community’s donation, along with some other final ones, brought the total pounds collected to 1,518 between June and August. It was an amount no one could have expected or even hoped for. It was also a testament to the generosity of a community and the vision of a few caregivers—proving that anyone can make a difference no matter their role.
Along with the 1,518 pounds of food collected for the food pantry, the hospital donated over 20 cases of snacks to local schools. Those cases equated to 1,764 individual, healthy snacks for elementary and middle school kids. Snacks included applesauce, goldfish, animal crackers, popcorn, fruit snacks, pretzels, juices, and more.
The second annual “Feeding Our Community Together” food drive touched the lives of not only those who donated and the locals in need, but also the volunteers at the East Millard Food Pantry.
“It's just amazing what everyone has done,” said Kathy Burns, a volunteer with the food bank.
Burns expressed how much she and the food bank appreciated the food drive and added, “The donations mean a lot to those struggling to put food on the table or provide for their families. It's very helpful—especially with the high price of food right now.”
Food insecurity is a concern in the Fillmore area like it is across the state. According to Burns, the food pantry “is being used more and more all the time.” The summer months are especially hard because case lot sales and canned goods sales are less frequent. The donations were needed and couldn’t have come at a better time.
“To everyone who's been involved or contributed in any way, please know that it's very much appreciated,” Burns said. “Looking out for our neighbors, as Christ taught, brings a much greater spirit of unity into our community.”
The East Millard Food Pantry is open for anyone to volunteer. If interested, Burns said anyone is welcome to volunteer at the food bank or visit to see what they do at any time.
Hospital caregivers were thrilled by the food drive’s success this year, and they express sincere thanks to all who contributed in such a meaningful way. They expect to continue the “Feeding Our Community Together” food drive again next year.
