John Smith
Staff Writer

A local food bank will be receiving help in the form of a food drive put on by the Pierce College Art Gallery. The Art Show food drive is running for the length of the newest exhibit, ending on Feb. 21. It showcases the work of Mary Larson, a Seattle nurse who works with the homeless.

The drive will accept donations from students, faculty, and the public. Bring any non-perishable canned food items for donation to the bin located in the gallery. There is also a comment book located in the gallery where viewers may leave thoughts and comments for the artist.

Many of the people portrayed in the exhibit are homeless. Mary Larson does not accept a specific dollar amount for her paintings. Instead of money, she accepts donations of goods for the homeless. Items that might otherwise be underwhelming will likely make a strong impact for those living on the streets and in shelters.

Since the inception of her personal quest she has accrued a large number of donations, including 30,010 pairs of socks, totaling over 81,000 donations to date. She even works with buyers to ensure that the donations are given to the local homeless in the area they live.

Those organizing the feature hope to hit a goal of 2000 cans of food by the end of the show, concluding with an exiting reception for the artist on Feb. 21 from 4-6pm. The Coordinator of the Art Department, David Roholt, had chased the idea of starting the food drive that accompanies the show. He wanted to showcase her work specifically because he says, “Mary’s works are very powerful examples of service and a noble look at the folks who are often ignored.”

Fish Food Banks of Pierce County is the entity that will be receiving the donations earned through out the show. The organization, which has been around since 1973, is no stranger to helping those in need themselves; the organization served 555,032 meals to those in need in 2012, a figure that has risen by 100,000 since 2011 and by 22 percent in 2010.

As much as 45 percent of those who need help from food banks actually have some form of post-secondary education, with only 9 percent actually being homeless. The number of meals specifically served to children sits at 222,120, 40 percent of the total helped in 2012. Together, Mary Larson and Fish Food Banks hope to help many more people in need in 2013.

Sources:

Mary Larson

Dave Roholt

Source Fishfoodbanks.org

2010 Hunger in America Study