For the third year in a row, Southeastern Credit Union and the local community have fulfilled the "Fill-a-Truck" for Hunger challenge.  Donations far exceeded the 20,000 pound community goal, with the equivalent of over 56,000 pounds of food collected, more than double last year’s effort.  With the community goal met, Southeastern CU will donate the funds to purchase a second truckload of food for local food bank and food drive beneficiary Second Harvest of South Georgia.  In total, the more than 76,000 pounds of food donated will provide over 50,000 meals to hungry South Georgians.
 
Numerous local businesses and organizations joined together to make this the most successful Fill-a-Truck for Hunger Food Drive to date.  Wild Adventures Theme Park held two BOGO admission weekends with canned food donation, collecting over 2,100 pounds of food.  The Turner Center for the Arts’ “Empty Bowls” Auction and “Hidden Hunger” Gallery Exhibit brought in more than $2,000, the equivalent of 8,000 pounds of food.  Valdosta State University’s PRSSA student organization led the on-campus effort with their “Cantasia” can-struction event, collecting the equivalent of over 4,700 pounds of food.
 
Other community supporters included local dealerships O’Steen Subaru, Valdosta Toyota, Langdale Honda-Kia, Jerry Kelley GMC, and Martin Motors.  Local radio stations 95.7 The Mix and 99.5 Kix Country were media sponsors of the month-long campaign.
 
Valdosta Rotary Club members took up a monetary donation, and member Brad Lawson led the local student Interact clubs in collecting more than 1,000 pounds of non-perishable food items.  “The Interact Club and Georgia Christian School are proud to be a part of the Fill-a-Truck event again this year,” says Brad Lawson.  “It allows all of us to do a little but make a big difference in our community.”