Latest local news, weather and high school sports for Tri-State area

QUINCY, ILL. -- Food pantries in the Quincy area are struggling to keep up with the increased demand for food as more families turn to the pantries to keep their own shelves full.

But events like the Souper-Bowl of Caring make sure those shelves stay fully stocked and at the same time, give Quincy teens a chance to make a difference in their community.

This collection of about 15 hundred non-perishable food items are headed to the food pantry shelves of Quanada and Catholic Charities.

The items were collected, by the members of the Beta Club, a Quincy High volunteer organization as a part of the Souper-Bowl of Caring.

Deborah Stock is the volunteer coordinator with Quanada she says there is a reason why the name is tied into the annual football extravaganza.

"The Souper-Bowl ... SOUPER ... The Souper-Bowl is a national organization and they specifically started it with youth groups and churches nation wide. And they did tie it in with the Super Bowl game so that people would have that thinking in their mind and that way to remember," Stock said.

When it came time to move the donations, the members of the Quincy Lady Blue Devils basketball team pitched in to help load up the trucks.

Anne Hufford is the team's booster club president and says that opportunities like this will hopefully teach them the lifelong value of community service.

"You can't ask a community to support your calling or your needs unless you are willing to give back to the community as well. And I want them to carry that with them through college and then through life because it is a big deal," Hufford said.

Stock says that it is impossible to overestimate the need in the area right now.

"Without activities and events like this it would be very difficult to stock our pantries. Funding is very low and the need is very high. There's a high need in this area as well as everywhere nationally and food drives like this really help us to stock our pantry to meet that client need," Stock explained.

In short order the corner was empty, the truck gates were shut and the food was ready to leave Quincy High to make a real difference in the lives of families in our community.

The Lady Blue Devils also picked up donations at Blessing Hospital and unloaded all the food at both Catholic Charities and Quanada.