RENO — The Food Bank of Northern Nevada’s annual holiday food drive has exceeded goals, bringing renewed hope for the new year. The annual holiday food drive collected 300,520 pounds of food, a 47-percent increase over 2007.

The outpouring of support from the community couldn’t have come at a better time for the Food Bank, when record numbers of people are seeking food assistance due to the economy. This year, 257 businesses, organizations and individuals conducted food drives to help the community. The top three food donors this year were Raley’s, Washoe County JROTC and the Washoe County Library System.

“We are so incredibly grateful for everything our community helps us do,” said Food Bank President and CEO Cherie Jamason. “There are so many people in need of a helping hand right now and we are so thankful that we can be there for them with the help of our generous community.”

The Food Bank is thrilled about the food drive results, but remains focused on the year to come as more people in the community are affected by layoffs and foreclosures. The unprecedented need has caused the Food Bank to become more concerned that ever that hungry people in need will continue to have somewhere to turn. In November 2008, the organization served 24 percent more clients compared to November 2007. To ensure that the growing numbers of hungry received the food they desperately needed, the Food Bank distributed more than 1 million pounds of food during November and December 2008 alone.

Because the Food Bank continues to feed the hungry throughout the year, it typically purchases $250,000 worth of nutritious staples, such as tuna fish, to distribute to clients. The growth in demand has caused the Food Bank to increase that amount to $350,000-400,000 during 2009. While Food Bank employees know it will be a difficult time, they are prepared and ready to continue their hard work to feed the region’s hungry.

“We will continue to do everything we can to ensure that no one in our region goes hungry during these tough times,” Jamason said.

The Food Bank of Northern Nevada is a non-profit organization that distributes more than 5 million pounds of food annually to more than 110 agencies in northern Nevada and the Tahoe/Sierra region. Agencies include shelters, low-income daycare centers, rehabilitation programs, senior nutrition centers and emergency food assistance pantries. The Food Bank also offers six direct service programs that work to bring adequate nutrition to the populations that make up 75 percent of Food Bank clients – seniors and children. Last fiscal year, the Food Bank provided food to more than 90,000 people.